Maharashtra Celebrates Griha Pravesh of 5 Lakh Rural Homes, Centre Announces ₹8,368 Crore Aid

Union Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday inaugurated the Griha Pravesh ceremony for five lakh completed rural houses in Maharashtra under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), while announcing major financial assistance and infrastructure projects aimed at accelerating rural development in the state.

Addressing the “PMAY-G Beneficiary Conference and Maha Awas Abhiyaan State-Level Award Distribution Ceremony” at Satara, Chouhan said the Centre had approved ₹8,368.50 crore for Maharashtra under PMAY-G for the financial year 2026-27. He said the assistance would help speed up the construction of houses for rural poor families and strengthen the goal of a homeless-free rural Maharashtra.

The Union Minister handed over symbolic house keys to beneficiaries and praised Maharashtra for completing five lakh rural houses in record time. He reiterated that the Centre’s vision under Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to ensure that no poor family lives in a kutcha house and that every eligible household receives a permanent home with dignity.

Chouhan also approved 35 rural road projects worth ₹122.98 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Spanning nearly 96 kilometres, the projects are expected to improve connectivity for 35 rural habitations by easing access to schools, hospitals and markets.

Announcing a new initiative, the minister said the “Vikasit Bharat G-RAM-G Yojana” would be launched on July 1 to promote holistic village development through Gram Panchayat-led planning and infrastructure improvement.

In a major relief measure for farmers, Chouhan announced that NAFED would begin onion procurement at ₹12.35 per kilogram from Friday itself to support growers affected by falling market prices. He also assured sugarcane farmers that the Centre and the Maharashtra government would jointly work toward resolving issues related to the sector.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Maharashtra had received approval for nearly 30 lakh houses under PMAY-G and had emerged as a model state in rural housing implementation. He added that the state government had integrated solar electrification and assistance for landless families into the housing programme.

Several ministers, officials, public representatives and beneficiaries attended the event.