NITI Aayog Recognises Kerala’s LIFE Mission as One of India’s Best Housing Schemes

Thiruvananthapuram: The LIFE Mission, the flagship housing scheme of the LDF government in Kerala, has reached a major milestone. NITI Aayog has selected the LIFE Mission as one of the best housing schemes in the country.

Minister M B Rajesh told that the project is on track to complete five lakh houses by February. He added that, unlike what the Leader of the Opposition claims about providing houses in Wayanad, the LIFE Mission is based on realistic commitments — “we say only what we can do, and we do what we say.”

NITI Aayog recognised LIFE Mission as a best practice among low-cost housing construction projects. According to the NITI Aayog report, the scheme follows a multi-stakeholder, community-based model, which has contributed to its success.

So far, contracts have been awarded for the construction of 6.5 lakh houses under the LIFE scheme. Of these, 4.07 lakh houses have already been completed, while construction is currently underway on 1.02 lakh houses, the minister said. The government aims to complete five lakh houses by February.

The LIFE Mission is also the housing scheme that provides the highest financial assistance in India, according to the minister. Beneficiaries receive 4 lakh rupees per house, while those in Scheduled Tribe areas are given 6 lakh rupees for construction.

M B Rajesh criticised the UDF, which had earlier announced that it would shut down the LIFE Mission. He said the difference between the LDF’s policy of fulfilling promises and the UDF’s tendency to backtrack on commitments is clearly evident in the numbers.