The central government has sanctioned the construction of over 800,000 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for rural areas in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo. The approval comes as part of the BJP government?s commitment to address the housing needs in the state, which, according to Sai, had been neglected under the previous Congress administration. The newly-elected BJP government, which took office nine months ago, has also requested that the Centre provide separate housing under PMAY for surrendered Naxalites and those affected by Maoist violence in the state. Sai noted that both Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have expressed their willingness to consider this request. In his remarks, Sai criticised the former Congress government, accusing it of failing to implement PMAY between 2018 and 2023, leaving 1.8 million families without permanent housing. He claimed that the Congress government, led by Bhupesh Baghel, did not contribute the state's 40% share to the scheme, as it was reluctant to give credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led central government. As a result, Sai charged, the rights of 1.8 million poor families were ignored. After taking office, the BJP government, in its first cabinet meeting, approved the construction of 18 lakh houses under PMAY for rural areas, fulfilling a key promise made during the 2023 assembly elections. The new administration also made provisions to ensure the state's financial contribution to the scheme. The Centre approved 846,931 houses for construction in Chhattisgarh under PMAY. Sai also assured that the 47,090 families who were sanctioned houses by the previous Congress government would not be left out and would continue receiving funds for house construction. He explained that these beneficiaries, who had already received an initial instalment of Rs 25,000, would now receive the remaining instalments under the BJP government's revised scheme. In addition to addressing housing needs, Sai mentioned that the state government is committed to constructing 10,000 houses specifically for surrendered Naxalites and victims of Maoist violence. A new initiative, called 'Niyad Nellanar' (Your Good Village), has been launched to promote development in remote villages within a 5-kilometer radius of security camps. Furthermore, under the PM Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyaan (PM-JANMAN) scheme, designed to improve the living standards of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), 24,064 houses have been sanctioned, with the majority already completed. Sai emphasised that his government remains dedicated to uplifting the most marginalised communities in Chhattisgarh. (ET)