The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to make women owners of the houses provided under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
"The government will now issue certificates and register the houses in the name of a woman of the family. The authorities have been instructed in this regard. The move is to empower women," Minister for Panchayat and Rural Development Kamleshwar Patel told IANS.
The Kamal Nath government targets to build 5 lakh houses under the scheme this year. In 2018, 3.5 lakh houses were built.
The previous government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan government had decided to have Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chouhan's images on the tiles used in these houses. But the present government has scrapped the decision.
The PMAY, launched in May 2015, aims to provide affordable housing to every family by 2022. Under the scheme, the central government provides an assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh and the state government Rs 1 lakh.