Maharashtra Atal Bandhkam Kamgar Awas Yojana

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The Atal Bandhkam Kamgar Awas Yojana (Gramin) is a dedicated rural housing welfare scheme of the Government of Maharashtra for registered and active construction workers living in rural areas of the state. It is implemented by the Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (MahaBOCW) under the administrative control of the Industry, Energy and Labour Department. The scheme was formally launched on 14 January 2019. Under the scheme, Eligible workers can receive ₹1,50,000 for house construction, with up to ₹50,000 more available after completion of the house and submission of the completion certificate, making the total assistance up to ₹2 lakh.

The core purpose of the Atal Bandhkam Kamgar Awas Scheme is to enable registered rural construction workers who currently live in kutcha houses or have no house of their own to build a permanent and safe home. It aims to improve their living standards, provide them with a sense of security and dignity, and help them move from temporary or unsafe housing to durable pucca houses. Under the scheme, eligible workers can either construct a completely new pucca house on land owned by them or their spouse, or convert an existing kutcha house into a pucca structure at the same site.

The scheme has also been designed to work in a coordinated manner with existing programmes such as MGNREGA and the Swachh Bharat Mission, so that housing, livelihood and sanitation benefits can reach the same family in an integrated way while preventing duplication of benefits. Strict eligibility conditions have been fixed to ensure that assistance reaches only genuine and needy workers.

It is important to clearly distinguish this scheme from the separate housing scheme meant for urban construction workers. The urban scheme is called the Maharashtra Bandhkam Kamgar Awas Yojana and was launched earlier under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). The two schemes are completely different in name, structure, eligibility, and benefits. The name "Atal Bandhkam Kamgar Awas Yojana" applies only to the rural version. The rural scheme itself notes that the earlier launch of the urban scheme was what led the government to introduce a dedicated scheme for rural construction workers the following year.

Apart from the Atal Bandhkam Kamgar Awas Yojana (Gramin), the Government of Maharashtra also runs various housing schemes for different sections of society. The Maharashtra Ramai Awas Yojana provides housing assistance to eligible Scheduled Caste and Neo-Buddhist families in rural and urban areas who are homeless or living in kutcha houses. The Maharashtra Aadim Awas Yojana provides housing assistance to eligible primitive tribal communities, including groups such as Katkari, Kolam and Madia Gond.

Scheme Benefits

Under the Atal Bandhkam Kamgar Awas Yojana (Gramin), an eligible construction worker receives the following benefits:

• One-time subsidy of ₹1,50,000 for constructing a new house or converting an existing kutcha house into a pucca house.
• Out of this ₹1,50,000, ₹18,000 is linked to MGNREGA and ₹12,000 to toilet construction under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• After completing the house and submitting the completion certificate, the beneficiary can receive up to ₹50,000 as reimbursement for land purchase and related expenses.
• Under the scheme, the amount is credited directly to the beneficiary's bank account.
• The house must have a minimum area of 269 sq ft and include a kitchen, living hall, toilet, and bathroom. The minimum height from the plinth is 10 feet.
• The roof may use iron sheets, cement sheets, or tiles as per local requirements. A larger house can be built at the beneficiary's own cost.
• The benefit is available only once and to one member of an eligible family.
• The house-construction subsidy is released through PFMS based on verified construction progress. 4% of the subsidy provided under the scheme is allocated to the State Management Cell–Rural Housing for administrative expenses.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the scheme, an applicant must fulfil all of the following conditions as laid down in the 14 January 2019 Government Resolution:

• The applicant must be a registered and active construction worker with the Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board for more than one continuous year at the time of application.
• The applicant or their spouse must not own a pucca house anywhere in Maharashtra. A self-declaration or affidavit confirming this must be submitted.
• The applicant must have land in their own or spouse's name for construction, or an existing kutcha house at the site that can be converted into a pucca house.
• The applicant must not have received benefits under any other government housing scheme or any government assistance towards housing-loan interest repayment.
• The applicant must not be included in the Permanent Waiting List (PWL) of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin).
• The benefit is limited to one member of an eligible family and can be availed only once.

Required Documents

Applicants must submit the following documents along with the prescribed application form:

• Copy of the identity/registration certificate issued by a competent authority of the Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.
• Copy of Aadhaar card.
• 7/12 land extract, registered property certificate, or an extract from the Gram Panchayat property register confirming ownership of the land.
• Photocopy of the beneficiary's active bank savings account passbook in the beneficiary's own name.

Steps to Apply

The scheme is processed offline through the district administration. The application and approval process works as follows:

• Obtain the prescribed application form from the District Office of the Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board or the official MahaBOCW website.
• Fill in the form and attach all required documents.
• Submit the completed application to the District Executive Officer or Deputy District Executive Officer of the Welfare Board in the district where the worker is registered.
• Applications are scrutinised by the District-Level Beneficiary Selection Committee, which verifies registration, eligibility, and documents.
• Eligible beneficiaries are selected, and a taluka-wise list is prepared and forwarded to the Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Welfare Board.
• The required funds are transferred to the Director, State Management Cell, Rural Housing Office, Belapur, Navi Mumbai.
• Financial assistance is released in instalments through PFMS after verification of construction progress at each stage.
• After completing the house and submitting the completion certificate, eligible beneficiaries may receive up to ₹50,000 towards reimbursement of land purchase and related expenses.
• A District-Level Monitoring Committee, headed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad, monitors the overall implementation of the scheme.

Relevant Links

• Guidelines of Atal Bandhkam Kamgar Awas Yojana
• Atal Bandhkam Kamgar Awas Yojana Application Form
• Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Website

Contact Information

• MahaBOCW Toll Free Helpline Number: 1800-8892-816
• Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Helpline Numbers:-:
  • 022-26572631
  • 022-26572632
• Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Helpdesk Email:
  • [email protected]
  • [email protected]