Chandigarh, Nov 9 (NationPress) The Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, presided over a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee in Karnal on Sunday. He urged officials to prioritize transparency and expedite the execution of welfare schemes initiated by both the Central and state governments.

Khattar evaluated 22 schemes spanning 11 departments, emphasizing that the benefits must be extended to a broader populace and that developmental projects should be implemented without delay.

During the gathering, he called for the creation of district-specific plans for welfare and developmental initiatives rather than simply chasing target completions.

The Minister also encouraged officials to promote applications for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (both Urban and Rural) to ensure that all eligible individuals can avail themselves of this housing opportunity.

While assessing the ATMA Scheme from the Agriculture Department, he instructed the Deputy Director of Agriculture to inspire farmers to embrace natural farming methods and guarantee they receive adequate training. He noted that this would aid farmers in increasing their incomes by lowering cultivation expenses while enhancing profitability.

Post-meeting, Khattar stated that the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) facilitates loans for initiating self-employment businesses, highlighting ongoing efforts to raise awareness so that more individuals can take advantage of this initiative.

He mentioned that under the PM Awas Yojana (Urban and Rural), the national goal for the upcoming five years has been established at three crore houses—one crore in urban areas and two crore in rural regions—with applications currently being accepted through the official portal.

Furthermore, he noted that the 'Vita Booth Scheme' is an innovative program aimed at boosting employment, which will be streamlined to allow more individuals to apply and benefit.

In addition, the PM SVANidhi scheme has seen an increase in loan amounts for street vendors—from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 and from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000.

A credit card option has also been introduced, offering loans of Rs 50,000, complemented by an additional Rs 30,000 revolving fund, enabling beneficiaries to reuse the credit multiple times.

The Minister concluded by stating that such smaller-scale schemes significantly impact the lives of economically disadvantaged citizens.