72.79% of Kerala LIFE Mission Houses Built Without Central Government Funds: Minister M B Rajesh

Thiruvananthapuram: Minister for Local Self Administration M B Rajesh has strongly criticised both the BJP and the UDF for attempting to claim credit for Kerala’s LIFE Mission, calling it an "outrageous' political move. In a Facebook post, he pointed out that the UDF, which had promised in 2021 to halt the LIFE Mission if voted to power, and the BJP, which claims houses can be built with just 72,000 rupees, are now trying to associate themselves with the flagship project of the LDF government.

Rajesh highlighted that out of 4,71,442 houses built under the LIFE Mission, 3,43,206, or 72.79%, received no central government funding, meaning they were entirely funded and constructed by the state government.

The remaining houses are part of joint schemes with the central government, such as PMAY-Gramin and PMAY-Urban, where the majority of funding still comes from the state and local bodies. Rajesh emphasised that this is why the scheme is appropriately named LIFE-PMAY, reflecting its joint nature.

He also questioned the BJP’s claim that houses can be built for only 72,000 rupees, pointing out that even this amount is insufficient. Central guidelines require a dedicated board in front of each house, which Kerala has consistently refused to install, asserting the state’s position firmly.

Clarifying the funding structure, Rajesh explained that for general category families, the state provides four lakh rupees, while Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families receive six lakh rupees. Of this, the state contributes one lakh directly for general families, with 2.2 lakh provided as a state-guaranteed loan, with interest borne by the government. Local bodies add 80,000 rupees from state plan funds. For SC/ST families, the state directly provides three lakh rupees, with the remainder coming from loans and local body contributions. So far, 45,976 houses for SC/ST families have been completed under this structure.

Rajesh underlined that the LIFE Mission is a globally recognised model project, providing secure housing as a fundamental right for every citizen of Kerala, and reaffirmed that the LDF government remains fully committed to achieving this goal.