PMAY beneficiaries in Surat celebrate Modi govt's 12 years, credit housing scheme
Synopsis
Residents of Surat who received homes under PMAY say the scheme ended years of living in leaking, temporary structures. Their testimonies — covering housing, DBT, and basic amenities — offer a ground-level snapshot of how the Modi government's welfare architecture has landed in one of Gujarat's fastest-growing cities after 12 years in power.
Key Takeaways
PMAY beneficiaries in Surat's City Light area expressed gratitude as the Modi government completes 12 years in power .
Shiv Prasad Mishra , a 40-year Surat resident, said PMAY assistance ended years of living in kaccha, temporary housing with inadequate amenities.
Hansaben Rajubhai Rathod recalled monsoons spent collecting rainwater indoors before PMAY funds enabled construction of a permanent home.
Beneficiaries praised the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism for routing funds directly to bank accounts, cutting out middlemen.
PMAY was launched in 2015 to provide housing to economically weaker sections; Gujarat and Surat have seen significant uptake.
Residents of Surat's City Light area who received homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) have expressed gratitude as the Narendra Modi-led government completes 12 years in power, saying the housing scheme fundamentally changed their living conditions. Beneficiaries recounted years spent in dilapidated, leaking dwellings before PMAY assistance enabled them to build permanent homes.
From Kaccha Homes to Permanent Shelter
Shiv Prasad Mishra, a Surat resident for 40 years, said he was compelled for years to live in kaccha, temporary structures with inadequate basic amenities. After receiving financial assistance under PMAY, he said his circumstances changed entirely. 'For the past five years, I have been living in this permanent house. Today, our lives have seen immense progress. Previously, there was a severe shortage of basic amenities — such as roads, water, and ration supplies — in this locality; but today, everything is well-organised,' he said.
Another beneficiary, Hansaben Rajubhai Rathod, became emotional recalling monsoon seasons when rainwater would pour through her roof, forcing her family to place pots and tubs indoors to collect the leakage. 'When we received the funds under PMAY, we constructed our permanent home. Now, we feel very happy and secure,' she said.
Direct Benefit Transfer Praised for Cutting Middlemen
Mishra also highlighted the role of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), noting that the mechanism routes funds and subsidies directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts, eliminating middlemen and, in his view, reducing scope for corruption or demands for commissions. This has been a consistent feature of the Modi government's welfare delivery architecture since 2014.
What the Beneficiaries Said About 12 Years of the Government
Both residents conveyed wishes to Prime Minister Modi on the government's 12-year milestone. Mishra said, 'I extend my warmest congratulations to him. Our only wish is that he continues to serve as the country's Prime Minister, so that the care and development of the poor may continue in this manner.' Hansaben echoed the sentiment, saying the Prime Minister has done 'excellent work for the poor.'
Context: PMAY's Reach in Gujarat
PMAY, launched in 2015, targets housing for economically weaker sections and low-income groups across urban and rural India. Gujarat has been among the states with significant PMAY uptake, with Surat — a rapidly urbanising industrial hub — seeing a large share of beneficiaries from migrant and lower-income communities. The accounts from City Light reflect a broader pattern of grassroots impact that the government has consistently cited as evidence of the scheme's reach.
As the Modi government marks 12 years, ground-level testimonies such as these are likely to feature prominently in the ruling party's outreach narrative ahead of future electoral cycles.
Point of View
But they capture individual experience rather than aggregate programme performance. PMAY's national targets have seen repeated deadline extensions, and independent audits have flagged gaps between sanctioned and completed homes. The Surat voices are real — but they represent selected accounts in a scheme of vast scale, and the fuller picture requires scrutiny of completion rates, quality standards, and whether the most marginalised households are actually being reached. Twelve years of welfare delivery is a legitimate record to assess; it deserves more than curated vignettes.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)?
PMAY is a central government housing scheme launched in 2015 to provide affordable homes to economically weaker sections and low-income groups across urban and rural India. It offers financial assistance to eligible beneficiaries for constructing or upgrading permanent pucca houses.
Who are the Surat beneficiaries mentioned in this report?
They are residents of the City Light area in Surat, Gujarat, who received financial assistance under PMAY to build permanent homes. Shiv Prasad Mishra and Hansaben Rajubhai Rathod were among those who shared their experiences.
What is Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and why do beneficiaries praise it?
DBT is a government mechanism that transfers subsidies and financial assistance directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts, bypassing intermediaries. Beneficiaries in Surat said it eliminated middlemen and reduced the scope for corruption or demands for commissions.
Why are these testimonies significant as the Modi government marks 12 years?
They represent grassroots accounts of how flagship welfare schemes have affected ordinary households, particularly in housing and basic amenities. Such testimonies are often used by the ruling party to illustrate programme impact at the ground level.
How significant is Surat as a location for PMAY?
Surat is one of India's fastest-growing industrial cities with a large migrant and lower-income population, making it a key urban centre for PMAY uptake in Gujarat. The City Light area reflects the kind of densely populated localities the scheme was designed to serve.
