PM Awas Yojana (Urban) Guidelines Updated for BLC

PM Awas Yojana Urban BLC Updated Guidelines: The central government has updated the guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) for the “Beneficiary Led Construction” component of the scheme. The modified guidelines have been notified to States and Union Territories for compliance while sending affordable housing proposals for enhancement of existing houses. The Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation notified the new guidelines on 21 January 2021.

Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) – PMAY Urban

• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS)
• Assistance to individual eligible families belonging to EWS categories to either construct new house or to enhance existing houses on their own.
• Central assistance upto Rs. 1.5 lakh per house
• Enhancement shall mean addition of minimum carpet area of  9.0 Sq Mt into the existing house with pucca construction of at least one habitable room or room with kitchen and/or bathroom and/or toilet conforming to NBC norms
• The total carpet area after enhancement must not be less than 21 Sqm and must not be more than 30 Sqm

Subsidy for Beneficiary-Led Individual House Construction or Enhancement

• For individuals of EWS category requiring individual house
• State to prepare a separate project for such beneficiaries
• No isolated/ splintered beneficiary to be covered

Updated BLC Guidelines – PM Awas Yojana Urban

The fourth component of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U) namely BLC is to provide assistance to individual eligible families belonging to EWS categories to either construct new houses or enhance existing houses on their own to cover the beneficiaries, who are not able to take benefits of other components of the mission. Such families may avail Central Assistance of Rs. 1.50 lakhs for construction of new houses or for enhancement of existing houses under the Mission.

How to Apply for BLC Component of PMAY-U

PMAY-U Beneficiaries desirous of availing this assistance under BLC component shall approach the ULBs with adequate documentation regarding availability of land owned by them. PMAY Urban BLC beneficiaries may be residing either in slums or outside the slums. Beneficiaries in slums which are not being redeveloped can be covered under this component if beneficiaries have a Kutcha [or Semi-Pucca] house.

The Urban Local Bodies shall validate the information given by the beneficiary and building plan for the house submitted by beneficiary so that ownership of land and other details of beneficiary like economic status and eligibility can be ascertained. In addition, the condition of the houses e.g. kutcha, semi-kutcha etc. of the prospective beneficiary should be checked with SECC data to ensure beneficiary’s consequent eligibility for construction of new house. SECC data regarding number of rooms, details of family members etc. should also be checked to ensure beneficiary’s eligibility for enhancement.

Eligibility Criteria for BLC Component under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban

If the beneficiary has a pucca house with carpet area up to 21 sq. mt. area or a semi-pucca house, lacking in one of the facilities- i.e. room, kitchen, toilet, bath or a combination of these, it may be taken up for enhancement subject to ULB/State ensuring structural safety of the house and adherence to following conditions:

• The total carpet area after enhancement must not be less than 21 sq. mt and must not be more than 30 sq. mt.
• Enhancement shall mean addition of minimum carpet area of 9.0 sq. mt into the existing house with pucca construction of at least one habitable room or room with kitchen and/or bathroom and/or toilet conforming to NBC norms.
• The details of the enhancement proposals under BLC vertical shall be submitted in proposed Annexure 7D of the PMAY(U) guidelines.

Format for Projects under Beneficiary Led Construction (New Construction)

The format for projects under beneficiary led construction (new construction) are available on 76th page of PDF file (Annexure 7C) will appear as shown below:-

Format for Projects under Beneficiary Led Construction (Enhancement)

The format for projects under beneficiary led construction (enhancement) on 78th page of PDF file (Annexure 7D) will appear as shown below:-

ULBs to Prepare Integrated City Wise Housing Project

On the basis of these PMAY-U BLC applications from candidates, ULBs will prepare an integrated city wide housing project for such individual beneficiaries in accordance with the City Development Plan (CDP) or other such plans of the city to ensure construction of proposed houses are as per planning norms of the city and scheme is implemented in an integrated manner. Individual applicants for assistance shall not be considered. Such Projects would be approved by States in SLSMC.

Approving Project for Individual House Construction

While approving project for individual house construction, Urban Local Bodies and States/UTs should ensure that required finance for constructing the planned house is available to the beneficiary from different sources including his own contribution, GoI assistance, State Government assistance etc. In no case, GoI assistance will be released for house where balance cost of construction is not tied up, as otherwise release of GoI assistance may result into half constructed houses.

States/ UTs or cities may also contribute financially for such individual house construction. Central Assistance will be released to the bank accounts of beneficiaries identified in projects through States/UTs as per their recommendations.

Release of Funds under BLC Component of PMAY Urban

Though the funds from Central Government to State Governments would be released in lump-sum including assistance for this component, State Government should release financial assistance to the beneficiaries in 3-4 instalments depending on progress of construction of the house. Beneficiary may start the construction using his own funds or any other fund and GoI assistance will be released in proportion to the construction by individual beneficiary.

The last instalment of Rs. 30,000/- of GoI assistance should be released only after completion of the house.

Geo Tagging Operational Guidelines

The Mission has also issued Geo-tagging Operational Guidelines. The progress of such individual houses should be tracked through geo-tagging norms so that each house can be monitored effectively. States will be required to develop a system for tracking progress of such houses through geo-tagging norms. Flow chart showing steps in Beneficiary-Led Construction or
Enhancement component of the Mission is as under:-

Transfer of Assistance through PFMS / DBT / Aadhar Based Payment

Under the component of Subsidy for Beneficiary-Led Individual house Construction or Enhancement, central assistance transferred to States/ UTs shall be transferred electronically to the beneficiary bank accounts through PFMS/DBT/Aadhaar based payment. States/ UTs shall prepare an electronic list of eligible beneficiaries with Aadhaar/ Virtual Aadhaar ID and valid Bank account numbers before sanctioning projects for individual construction or enhancement.

Criteria for 1st Installment

• Entry of Aadhaar seeded beneficiaries as per DPR in MIS.
• Any other requirement(s) as specified/directed by CSMC

Criteria for 2nd Installment

• Submission of utilization certificate of at least 70% of fund released by Centre as well as States/UTs Government and commensurate physical progress.
• Action Taken Reports (ATRs) on the recommendations by Third-Party Quality Monitoring Agencies (TPQMA) duly approved by SLSMC.
• Certificate on compliance of observations made by HUDCO/ BMTPC during site scrutiny and
• Geo Tagging of current stage of construction of the house(s).

Criteria for Final Installment

• Submission of UCs of at least 70% utilization of earlier Central releases along with States/ UTs releases.
• Completion certificates in respect of the projects including associated infrastructure in each project as per Annexure 9.

• Achieving mandatory reforms.
• Action Taken Reports (ATRs) on the recommendations by Third-Party Quality Monitoring Agencies (TPQMA) in their 2nd /3rd visits duly approved by SLSMC.
• Geo-tagging of current stage of construction of projects/houses.
• Status of Social Audit

Download PMAY Urban BLC Updated Guidelines PDF

There are 3 more components under the PM Awas Yojana giving more options to beneficiaries, three more components are In-situ Slum Redevelopment, Affordable Housing in Partnership and Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme. The central government aims to provide homes to 20 million urban poor by the year 2024 under the mission.

Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana has also been launched by the central government to provide houses to the Rural Poor. Under the Gramin Awas Yojana, government will build 3 Crore Pucca houses for rural poor by the year 2024.

For more details, visit guidelines section at official website through the link – https://pmay-urban.gov.in/guideline or https://pmay-urban.gov.in/blc