(a) whether the Government had set up a committee to formulate a concrete bankable scheme for rural housing;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the aforesaid committee had submitted its report to the Government;
(d) if so, the details of the recommendations made by the aforesaid committee; and
(e) the action taken by the Government to implement those recommen- dations and the extent to which the below poverty line families are likely to be benefited from this new scheme?
MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI BIRENDER SINGH)
(a) to (e): A Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Shri S. Sridhar by Ministry of Rural Development in July, 2010, to suggest bankable schemes so that funds are made available to larger number of people belonging to BPL, EWS and APL categories through Financial Institutions for rural housing. The recommendations of the Committee were placed before the Working Group on Rural Housing for 12th Five Year Plan. The working Group deliberated upon the recommendations made by the Sridhar Committee and subsumed them, to the extent found feasible, in its report submitted to the Planning Commission. The Working Group had recommended bankable schemes for APL and BPL categories. One of the recommendations of the Sridhar Committee i.e. to enhance the unit assistance for BPL under IAY to Rs. 75,000/- was accepted by the government and accordingly the unit assistance under IAY was raised to Rs. 70,000/-in plain areas and Rs.75,000/- in hilly/difficult areas and IAP district with effect from 1st April, 2013.