Shahin Bepari Lambe
Panaji: The state government is set to amend the Atal Asra Yojana, increasing financial assistance for house repairs from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh and for construction of a new house from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.
An official from the department said the annual income limit under the scheme would also be increased from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh to cover more beneficiaries.
“The amendments had already been approved by the minister and will be notified soon,” said the official, adding that the government has also removed the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) status requirement.
Earlier, applicants under the EWS category had to submit a self-declaration or affidavit. “With the removal of the EWS clause, this requirement will no longer be necessary,” the official said.
Another change is the time allowed for the second instalment, which has been increased to two years from the earlier 60 to 90 days. The official said the earlier time limit had resulted in several cases remaining pending.
The BDO committee under the earlier system will also be removed, and the Department of Social
Welfare will appoint an engineer for the work, the official said.
“The scheme came into existence around 10 years ago, but 1,999 cases were cleared only during the last financial year. We have already received 800-plus applications online and, just for trial, we have given approval for one applicant,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the government has moved a file seeking an increase in financial assistance under the Dayanand Social Security Scheme (DSSS) for all existing categories. These include senior citizens, single women, widows with major and minor children, persons with disabilities, children with disabilities below 21 years, persons with 90 per cent and above disability, HIV patients and beneficiaries under the Bachpan category.
A transgender pilot category has also been proposed for those aged 50 to 59 years and those above 60 years. The revised amount has not been finalised,
but a proportionate increase in assistance has been proposed.
Under the existing DSSS, monthly assistance ranges from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 depending on the category. Senior citizens, adult persons with disabilities below 90 per cent, single, divorced and deserted women, and HIV/AIDS patients receive Rs 2,000 per month. Widows without dependent children below 21 years receive Rs 2,500, while widows whose youngest child is below 21 years receive Rs 4,000. Disabled children receive Rs 2,500 and persons with severe disability of 90 to 100 per cent receive
Rs 3,500 per month.
