Chandigarh, June 10 : In a significant move to provide housing for the underprivileged, the Haryana government, under the Mukhyamantri Gramin Aawas Yojana, will issue possession certificates of 100 sq. ft. plots to more than 7,500 below poverty line (BPL) beneficiaries on Monday, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said.

Besides the distribution of these certificates, the registration of the respective plots will also be done on the spot.

He said the government's commitment to ensuring housing for all. Also, such programmes will be organised across the state.

The Chief Minister said the Congress government had promised to allocate plots to poor people under the Mahatma Gandhi Gramin Basti Yojana, but they never gave any written document of these plots to any beneficiary.

In the last 15 years, they were not given possession of the plots. To alleviate the situation of such people, former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced in the 2024-25 Budget speech that under the Mukhyamantri Gramin Aawas Yojana the possession of plots would be given to approximately 20,000 beneficiaries.

The government has decided to provide financial assistance of up to Rs 1 lakh to each 12,500 beneficiaries to enable them to purchase a plot, said Saini.

He said the government is identifying new eligible individuals through a survey and the government will soon open a portal where these people can apply for housing.

The Chief Minister said the Congress initiated schemes in the name of Mahatma Gandhi but didn't implement them properly.

Saini said in the past 10 years, 14,939 houses have been constructed and provided to poor people under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Approximately, Rs 552 crore have been spent under the scheme.

Additionally, 15,356 houses are under construction. The keys to these houses will also be handed over to the beneficiaries soon.

/IANS