CM Revanth Urges Centre to Sanction 11.56 Lakh PMAY-G Houses, Expand Rural Livelihoods

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has urged the Centre to sanction 11.56 lakh houses for the state under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G) 2.0, while also seeking expanded rural employment opportunities and climate-resilient livelihood measures. The requests were made during his meeting with Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister said 11,56,915 eligible beneficiaries had been identified through the Centre's Awaas Plus survey, making a strong case for a fresh allocation under the flagship rural housing scheme. He noted that Telangana's rural housing requirements had grown significantly over the years and urged the Centre to expedite approvals so that eligible families could receive permanent homes without further delay.

Revanth Reddy also proposed linking the state's Indiramma Housing Scheme with the Centre's rural employment framework under the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (VB-GRAM). He said the convergence would enable beneficiaries constructing their own houses to receive 90 days of wage employment, reducing the financial burden of building homes while generating additional livelihood opportunities in rural areas.

Highlighting the impact of El Niño, erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spells, the Chief Minister urged the Centre to broaden the scope of VB-GRAM by introducing 10 additional livelihood-oriented activities. The proposed works include vegetable cultivation structures, fodder development, mulberry plantations, silkworm-rearing sheds, restoration of farmland damaged by natural disasters, soil fertility improvement, and water conservation projects in hilly regions. He said these measures would particularly benefit Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), small and marginal farmers, and agricultural labourers, while making rural communities more resilient to climate-related challenges.

The proposals are aimed at aligning housing, employment and agricultural development under a single framework, allowing rural families to improve their livelihoods while strengthening infrastructure and farm productivity. The Chief Minister emphasised that integrating housing assistance with employment generation would accelerate rural development and create more sustainable income opportunities.

Separately, Revanth Reddy reviewed the implementation of Telangana's government school breakfast programme during a meeting in Hyderabad with representatives of the Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation, Divi's Laboratories, and Aurobindo Pharma. During the event, Divi's Laboratories contributed ₹12.18 crore, while Aurobindo Pharma donated ₹10 crore under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to support the programme.

The Chief Minister said the government plans to integrate Akshaya Patra's centralised kitchens with local farming communities by encouraging the cultivation of organic crops. Vegetables, rice and other essential ingredients required for the breakfast programme would be procured directly from nearby farmers, creating a reliable market for local produce while ensuring fresh and nutritious meals for government school students. He added that the state would support farmers with quality seeds, promote crop diversification, and encourage sustainable farming practices to enhance productivity and incomes.

The meeting with the Union Minister was attended by MPs Mallu Ravi, Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy, Suresh Shetkar, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, and Gaddam Vamsi, along with senior officials. According to the Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan responded positively to Telangana's proposals, and an invitation was extended to him to visit the state for a field-level review of its rural housing and development initiatives.