Meerut Zero Poverty Survey Reveals Widespread Encroachment; Eligible Families To Get Houses Under PMAY-Plus

Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Plus), the central government will provide permanent housing to economically weaker rural families. A recent Zero Poverty Survey has revealed widespread encroachment on government land across Meerut, with mafia occupying land in more than 220 of the 479 gram panchayats.

The survey, conducted by 185 surveyors, identified 2,241 people as eligible beneficiaries for the scheme. All will receive permanent homes constructed on the gram panchayat land. The PM Awas Yojana (Plus) aims to ensure housing for all eligible rural families by December 2026, addressing shortages among those living in slums, temporary structures, and low-income households.

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To qualify, beneficiaries must not own a pucca house or agricultural land anywhere in the country. Priority will be given to women from SC/OBC communities and to persons with disabilities. The annual income limit is Rs 3 lakh, and documents such as Aadhaar, PAN, and a bank account are mandatory.

The survey also exposed large-scale encroachments. In Mukarrabpur Palheda of Daurala block, 26,920 sq m of government land on one end and 71,480 sq m on the other have been illegally occupied. Overall, government land in over 300 village councils is under encroachment.

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Officials said that gram panchayats with occupied land have been red-flagged, and eviction proceedings will begin soon.

“The survey is complete in all village councils. Removal of encroachments will start shortly,” said Nupur Goyal, Chief Development Officer.