India 2018

466 India 2018
way of an all-weather road (with necessary culverts and cross-drainage
structures, which is operable throughout the year), to the eligible unconnected
habitations as per core-network with a population of 500 persons (as per 2001
census) and above in plain areas. In respect of 'Special Category States' (North-
East, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand), the
desert areas, the tribal (Schedule V) areas and 88 selected tribal and backward
districts, the objective is to connect eligible unconnected habitations as per Core-
Network with a population of 250 persons and above (census 2001).
To bring execution of the programme to the desired quality standards, a
three tier quality management mechanism has been institutionalized. First-tier
of this mechanism is in-house quality control at Programme Implementation
Unit (PIU) level. Objective of this tier is process control through mandatory
tests on material at field laboratory and workmanship. Second-tier is structured
as an independent quality monitoring at state level through State Quality
Monitors (SQMs) in which provision of regular inspection of works has been
envisaged for ensuring better quality. Under the Third-tier, independent
National Quality Monitors (NQMs) are deployed by NRRDA for inspection of
road works at random, not only to monitor quality but also to provide guidance
by senior professionals to the field functionaries.
Indira Awaas Yojana
Housing is universally recognized as a basic human need. Reducing rural
housing shortage and improving the quality of housing especially for the poor
is an important component of the poverty alleviation strategy of the government.
The rural housing scheme Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) implemented by Ministry
of Rural Development, aimed at providing houses to families below the poverty
line (BPL) in rural areas has since inception provided assistance for construction
of 360 lakh houses, incurring a total expenditure of ` 1,06,798.93 crore in March,
2016.
In the context of government's priority for "Housing for All" by 2022, the
rural housing scheme IAY has been restructured to Pradhan Mantri Awaas
Yojana—Gramin (PMAY-G), which came into effect from the financial year
2016-17. The main features of the scheme include : (a) providing assistance for
construction of 1.00 crore houses in rural areas over the period of 3 years from
2016-17 to 2018-19; (b) enhancement of unit assistance from ` 70,000 to ` 1.20
lakh in plains and from ` 75,000 to ` 1.30 lakh in hilly states, difficult areas and
IAP districts; (c) identification of beneficiaries based on the socio-economic and
caste census (SECC 2011) data covering households that are houseless or living
in houses with kutcha walls and kutcha roof with two rooms or less after
excluding households falling under the automatic exclusion category; (d) setting
up of national technical support agency at national level to provide technical
support to the implementing agencies and to the beneficiaries in taking up
construction of houses and help in achieving the target set under the project.