Budget 2019: "Housing for all by 2022, water supply by 2024," announces Sitharaman

The Jal Shakti Ministry will work with states to ensure 'Har Ghar Jal', to all rural households by 2024, Sitharaman announced.

**EDS: VIDEO GRAB** New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget 2019-20 in the Lok Sabha at Parliament, in New Delhi, Friday, July 05, 2019 (LSTV/PTI Photo)(PTI7_5_2019_000050B)

New Delhi: Housing for all by the year 2022, and ‘Har Ghar Jal’ (water supply to all houses) by the year 2024 remained the major highlights of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s maiden budget speech on Friday. Hailing the constitution of the Jal Shakti Ministry, Sitharaman said “ensuring India's water security and providing access to safe drinking water to all Indians is a priority. A major step in this direction has been the constitution of Jal Shakti Ministry.” “This new Ministry will look at the management of our water resources and water supply in an integrated and holistic manner and will work with states to ensure 'Har Ghar Jal', to all rural households by 2024 under Jal Jeevan Mission”, Finance Minister announced. On housing for all, Sitharaman said, “in second phase of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (rural) 1.95 crore houses will be provided to eligible beneficiaries during 2019-2020 to 2021-2022, equipped with LPG supply, electricity and toilets. Under PMAY (Urban), over 81 Lakh houses with investment of about Rs 4.83 Lakh Cr have been sanctioned of which construction has started in about 47 Lakh houses. Over 26 Lakh houses have been completed of which nearly 24 Lakh houses have been delivered, to beneficiaries, she said. She said that the time for completion of houses under PMAY reduced from 314 days in 2014-2016 to 114 days in 2017-2018, enabling scale of achievement in PMAY. Presenting the first Budget of the Modi government in its second term, Sitharaman said the government also proposes to expand Swachh Bharat to include solid waste management in every village. The finance minister said as much as 95 per cent of all cities have become open defecation free and 9.6 crore toilets have been constructed since October 2014. The government is on track to achieve Swachh Bharat Mission by October this year. Sitharaman also said that 10,000 new farmer producer organisations will be be set up.