PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Under the Beneficiary-led Construction (BLC) component of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)–Urban 2.0, 200 residents across Dehradun district have received approval for financial assistance for building their own homes. Stating this, the Urban Development department officers said that the scheme being implemented through urban local bodies targets families without permanent houses or those living in dwellings unfit for all-weather habitation.
According to official sources, the aim of the scheme is to provide safe and durable housing to economically weaker sections by directly supporting beneficiaries in constructing their own homes. Each approved beneficiary will receive Rs 2.75 lakh in total, comprising Rs 2.25 lakh from the Central government and Rs 50,000 from the State government. The grant does not need to be repaid while any additional construction costs must be borne by the beneficiary, officials said. MCD accounts for the highest number of approvals with 88 beneficiaries, followed by Doiwala (42), Mussoorie (27), Vikasnagar (25) and Herbertpur (18).
An agreement is signed with each beneficiary at the respective urban local body office, detailing house design, construction-timeline and usage conditions.
Officials said that there is a five-year lock-in period after completion, during which the house cannot be sold, rented or mortgaged and must be used strictly for residential purposes.
Applications are submitted through the Central Government portal and verified physically, including confirmation of residence, land ownership and document validation. Funds are disbursed in instalments: Rs 20,000 as advance, Rs 90,000 at plinth level, Rs 1.20 lakh at lintel/roof stage and Rs 45,000 on completion. Progress is monitored via geo-tagged photographs with quality checks conducted by a third-party agency. Payments are made through Direct Benefit Transfer to Aadhaar-linked accounts, ensuring transparency and proper fund utilisation.
