Secretary, Rural Development Chairs High-Level Inter-Ministerial Consultation on Convergence Framework under VB–G RAM G Act, 2025

The Secretary, Department of Rural Development chaired a high-level inter-ministerial consultation on Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), focusing o...

What Happened

The Secretary, Department of Rural Development chaired a high-level inter-ministerial consultation on Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), focusing on convergence of rural development programmes, accelerated housing construction, and resolution of state-level implementation bottlenecks.
The consultation brought together nodal officers from multiple Central ministries and departments to coordinate timelines and resource alignment for PMAY-G's ambitious expansion phase for FY 2026-27.
In parallel, the Ministry of Rural Development released a mother sanction of ₹10,021 crore to 12 states (Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh) as the first instalment for FY 2026-27.
A total mother sanction of ₹11,121 crore had already been released for FY 2026-27 before this instalment, bringing cumulative FY 2026-27 releases to over ₹21,000 crore.
The target for FY 2026-27 has been set at three times the number of houses completed in FY 2025-26, to be achieved through enhanced Centre-State coordination.
States were urged to resolve pending land disputes, complete beneficiary approvals, and process outstanding complaints by June 30, 2026.

Static Topic Bridges

Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) — Scheme Architecture

PMAY-G is the flagship rural housing scheme of the Government of India, launched in November 2016 by restructuring and rebranding the earlier Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY). It is administered by the Department of Rural Development under the Ministry of Rural Development. The scheme's stated objective is to provide a pucca house with basic amenities — including a toilet, LPG connection, electricity, and drinking water — to every rural household that is either houseless or living in a kutcha or dilapidated house by 2029. Beneficiary selection is done using the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data, filtered through a multi-stage Gram Sabha verification process to ensure transparency.

Launched: November 20, 2016 (replacing IAY, which ran since 1985).
Original Phase I target (FY 2016-17 to FY 2023-24): 2.95 crore houses.
Extended Phase II approved by Cabinet for FY 2024-25 to FY 2028-29: additional 2 crore houses (total cumulative target: 4.95 crore houses).
Unit assistance: ₹1.20 lakh per house in plain areas; ₹1.30 lakh per house in NE Region and Hill States.
Houses include PMAY-G toilet (under Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin convergence), Ujjwala LPG connection, Saubhagya electricity connection, and Jal Jeevan Mission tap water.
As of March 2026: approximately 3 crore houses completed under the combined IAY-PMAY-G arc; over 3.5 crore sanctioned under PMAY-G alone.

Connection to this news: The inter-ministerial consultation is part of the ministry's effort to coordinate all converging line ministries — Water (Jal Jeevan Mission), Power (Saubhagya), Petroleum (Ujjwala) — to ensure each new PMAY-G house receives its full complement of basic amenities, not just the structural unit.

Centre-State Funding and Implementation Architecture

PMAY-G is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), meaning both the Central and state governments share the cost and jointly manage implementation. The funding pattern reflects the asymmetric fiscal capacity of different states. In plain areas, the Centre-State cost-sharing ratio is 60:40. For North Eastern and Himalayan states (including J&K), the ratio is 90:10 in favour of the Centre. For UTs without legislatures, 100% of funding comes from the Centre. MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) is used to provide 90 person-days of unskilled labour support to PMAY-G beneficiaries, adding approximately ₹18,000–20,000 in effective assistance.

Total financial outlay for Phase II (FY 2024-25 to FY 2028-29): ₹3,06,137 crore — Central share ₹2,05,856 crore; State share ₹1,00,281 crore.
90% of annual budgetary grant is released to states for new construction; 5% is retained as a central reserve fund for special projects.
Fund releases are "mother sanctions" — bulk grants to states that are then broken into beneficiary-level tranches.
MGNREGS convergence: 90 days of unskilled work at MGNREGS wage rates for each PMAY-G beneficiary; another supplementary benefit reducing out-of-pocket cost.

Connection to this news: The release of ₹10,021 crore to 12 states and the inter-ministerial coordination meeting reflect the institutional machinery through which this 60:40 Centre-State partnership operates — the Centre funds, monitors, and coordinates; states sanction beneficiaries, verify construction, and release tranches to individuals.

Constitutional Basis — DPSPs and the Right to Shelter

Rural housing schemes derive their normative basis from the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs) in Part IV of the Constitution. Article 41 directs the State to make effective provisions for securing the right to work, education, and public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness, and disablement. Article 43 calls for securing a decent standard of life and social and cultural opportunities for all workers. The Supreme Court has, through progressive interpretation, read a right to shelter as part of the right to life under Article 21 — making adequate housing a constitutional entitlement, even if not a directly enforceable fundamental right.

Article 21 (Right to Life): interpreted by the Supreme Court to include the right to livelihood, shelter, and a dignified life.
Article 41 (DPSPs): obligates the State to secure public assistance — welfare housing schemes are a legislative expression of this directive.
DPSPs are non-justiciable but form the basis for parliamentary legislation; courts have used them as interpretive aids to expand Article 21's scope.
Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation (1985): Supreme Court held that the right to livelihood is part of the right to life under Article 21 — a landmark in right-to-shelter jurisprudence.

Connection to this news: Inter-ministerial convergence to deliver not just a house but a complete habitat — water, sanitation, energy, shelter — is the state's operationalisation of the Article 21 and DPSP framework for rural populations.

VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 — New Rural Development Convergence Framework

Alongside PMAY-G, the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 [VB-G RAM G] is a new legislation that restructures the architecture of rural development programme delivery. It was set to commence on July 1, 2026, following the inter-ministerial consultation on its Draft Convergence Framework. The Act organises rural development under four thematic pillars: Water Security; Core Rural Infrastructure; Rural Livelihoods; and Special Works for Mitigation of Extreme Weather Events. An interim list of 318 permissible works was notified to enable immediate operationalisation.

Participating ministries: 18 Central ministries and departments.
Effective date: July 1, 2026.
Core implementing ministry: Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development.
PMAY-G, MGNREGS, Jal Jeevan Mission, and PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) are expected to converge under this broader framework.
318 interim permissible works cover natural resource management, irrigation, rural connectivity, community infrastructure, livelihood assets, climate resilience, and disaster preparedness.

Connection to this news: The June 24, 2026 inter-ministerial consultation chaired by the Secretary, Rural Development, addressed PMAY-G's immediate targets as well as the preparatory groundwork for the VB-G RAM G framework's July 1 launch — two overlapping agendas that explain the elevated seniority and multi-ministry participation of the meeting.

Key Facts & Data

PMAY-G launched: November 2016; replaced Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY, 1985).
Total target: 4.95 crore houses (2.95 crore Phase I + 2 crore Phase II).
Phase II outlay (FY 2024-25 to FY 2028-29): ₹3,06,137 crore; Centre:State = 60:40 (plain areas), 90:10 (NE/Hill states).
Unit assistance: ₹1.20 lakh (plains), ₹1.30 lakh (NE/Hill); MGNREGS adds 90 person-days.
Beneficiary selection: SECC 2011 data + Gram Sabha verification.
FY 2026-27 release: ₹11,121 crore (first tranche) + ₹10,021 crore (second tranche) = ₹21,142+ crore to 12 states.
Convergence schemes: Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (toilet), Saubhagya (electricity), Ujjwala (LPG), Jal Jeevan Mission (tap water).
VB-G RAM G Act, 2025: New rural convergence framework effective July 1, 2026; 318 permissible works; 18 ministries.
Constitutional basis: Article 21 (right to life including shelter), Articles 41 & 43 (DPSPs).