Newz Desk, Durgapur: Eligible beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in West Bengal will no longer have to depend solely on government officials or visit government offices to apply for housing benefits. The state government has introduced a smartphone-based self-survey system that allows applicants to complete the verification process on their own. The conventional survey through government officials will continue alongside the new digital process.
According to administrative department sources, the self-survey drive will continue till August 15. So far, 2,35,955 self-surveys have been completed across the state.
Malda has recorded the highest number of self-surveys with 55,632, followed by Jalpaiguri (46,366) and Cooch Behar (25,874). Other districts include Uttar Dinajpur (17,208), Nadia (12,472), Murshidabad (10,881), Paschim Medinipur (10,867), South 24 Parganas (10,407), Alipurduar (8,468), Purba Medinipur (5,914), North 24 Parganas (5,563), Purulia (5,212), Jhargram (4,796), Hooghly (4,086), Birbhum (3,804), Purba Bardhaman (3,238), Bankura (2,126), Dakshin Dinajpur (1,554), Howrah (544), Paschim Bardhaman (396), Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (391), Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (131), while Kalimpong has recorded the lowest number with 25 self-surveys.
Officials said that any eligible family without a permanent house can complete the survey using their own smartphone or someone else’s device. Applicants are required to install two mobile applications: AwaasPlus 2024 and Aadhaar Face RD.
After opening the AwaasPlus 2024 app, applicants must select their preferred language and register using their Aadhaar number. They will then have to enter details of all family members, job card information, and bank account details. The app also requires applicants to answer eligibility-related questions and upload photographs of their existing kutcha house as well as the proposed site where the new house is to be constructed.
The move comes against the backdrop of allegations of large-scale irregularities in the implementation of the housing scheme during the previous Trinamool Congress government. The scheme had faced accusations that several ineligible beneficiaries received houses by paying kickbacks, while many deserving families were left out.
Following the change in government after the 2026 Assembly elections, the state administration has introduced the self-survey mechanism with the objective of improving transparency, reducing dependence on intermediaries, and ensuring that the benefits of the housing scheme reach genuinely eligible beneficiaries.
