Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) was launched during 1985-86 as a sub-scheme of Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP) and continued as a sub-scheme of Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) since its launching from April, 1989. It has been delinked from the JRY and has been made an independent scheme with effect from January 1, 1996. 

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of IAY is primarily to provide grant for construction of houses to members of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, freed bonded labourers and also to non-SC/ST rural poor below the poverty line.

TARGET GROUP:

The target group for houses under IAY will be people below poverty line living in rural areas belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, freed bonded labourers and non-SC/ST subject to the condition that the benefits to non-SC/ST should not exceed 40% of total IAY allocation during a financial year. From 1995-96, the IAY benefits have been extended to ex-servicemen, widows or next-ofkin of defence personnel and para military forces killed in action irrespective of the income criteria subject to the condition that (i) they reside in rural areas; (ii) they have not been covered under any other scheme of shelter rehabilitation; and (iii) they are houseless or in need of shelter or shelter upgradation. Priority be given to other ex-servicemen and retired members of the paramilitary forces as long as they fulfill the normal eligibility conditions of the Indira Awaas Yojana and have not been covered under any other shelter rehabilitation scheme. The priority in the matter of allotment of houses to the ex-servicemen and paramilitary forces and their dependents will be out of 40% of the houses set apart for allotment among the non-SC/ST categories of beneficiaries. 3% of the funds have been earmarked for the benefit of disabled persons below poverty line. This reservation of 3% under IAY for disabled persons below the poverty line would be horizontal reservation i.e., disabled persons belonging to sections like SCs, STs and Others would fall in their respective categories.

IDENTIFICATION OF BENEFICIARIES: 

District Rural Development Agencies DRDAs) / Zilla Parishads on the basis of allocations made and targets fixed shall decide Panchayat-wise number of houses to be constructed under IAY, during a particular financial year and intimate the same to the Gram Panchayat. Thereafter, the Gram Sabha will select the beneficiaries restricting its number to the target allotted, from the list of eligible households, according to IAY guidelines and as per priorities fixed. No approval of the Panchayat Samiti will be required. The Panchayat Samiti should however, be sent a list of selected beneficiaries for their information. This amendment in the IAY guidelines shall come into force with effect from 1-4-1998. 

PRIORITY IN SELECTION OF BENEFICIARIES:

The order of priority for selection of beneficiaries amongst target group below poverty line is

as follows:

(i) Freed bonded labourers

(ii) SC/ST households who are victims of atrocities

(iii) SC/ST households, headed by widows and unmarried women.

(iv) SC/ST households affected by flood, fire, earthquake, cyclone and similar

natural calamities.

(v) Other SC/ST households.

(vi) Non- SC/ST households.

(vii) Physically handicapped.

(viii) Families/widows of personnel of defence services / para-military forces, killed

in action.

(ix) Displaced persons on account of developmental projects, nomadic seminomadic

and de-notified tribals, families with disabled members and internal

refugees, subject to the households being below poverty line.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

INFERENCE:

Under IAY, during 2005-06, 15.52 lakh houses were constructed against a target of 14.41 lakh houses and during 2006-07, against the target of 15.33 lakh houses, 14.98 lakh houses were constructed. In the financial year 2007-08, 19.92 lakh houses were constructed against the target of 21.27 lakh houses. Again for 2008-09, 18.04 houses have been constructed as on date. Thus over last four years 68.46 lakh houses have been constructed which is more than the target set under Bharat Nirman.