Housing & Basic-Needs Schemes in India 2026
Most welfare debate misses this: 4 in 10 Indian households still don't have a pucca house, tap water, LPG or grid electricity. India runs four flagship schemes to close every gap — PMAY (house), Jal Jeevan Mission (tap water), Ujjwala (LPG), Saubhagya (electricity). All are free or heavily subsidised. Most eligible families haven't claimed.
Quick Answer
- House subsidy ₹1.20–2.50 lakh → PMAY-G + PMAY-U 2.0
- Free tap water connection → Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
- Free LPG connection + 12 cylinders/yr → Ujjwala Yojana 2.0
- Free electricity connection → Saubhagya Yojana
- Helplines: PMAY-G 1800-11-6446, Ujjwala 1906, Saubhagya 1912.
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Who should read this page
- Living in a kutcha / semi-pucca house — PMAY-G upgrades it to pucca.
- Urban EWS/LIG/MIG with no own house — PMAY-U 2.0 (4 verticals).
- No tap water connection — JJM provides one for free.
- Cooking on firewood / kerosene — Ujjwala gets you LPG.
- No electricity meter at home — Saubhagya connects you free.
List of schemes in this category
Housing
- PMAY 2.0 — Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana — central housing flagship. Two arms:
- PMAY-G (Gramin) — ₹1.20 lakh subsidy (rural); ₹1.30 lakh (hilly/IAP).
- PMAY-U 2.0 (Urban) — 4 verticals (BLC ₹2.50 L / AHP / ARHC / Interest Subsidy ₹1.80 L).
- MGNREGA convergence — 90 person-days wages for labour on your own PMAY house. See MGNREGA guide.
- State top-ups — Maharashtra Awas, TN CMAY, Kerala LIFE, Telangana Double Bedroom add to central PMAY.
Water
- Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) — Har Ghar Jal — universal functional household tap connection by 2024 (now extended to 2028). 75% of rural households connected as of Q1 2026. Apply via Gram Panchayat.
Cooking gas
- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) 2.0 — free LPG connection + first-fill stove + 12 subsidised refills per year (≈ ₹300 subsidy per cylinder). Eligibility: women in BPL / SECC / SC/ST / tea workers / PMAY beneficiary households.
Electricity
- Saubhagya — Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana — free electricity connection for poor un-electrified households. Apply via DISCOM or Gram Panchayat.
Toilet
- Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) — ₹12,000 per household for toilet construction. Convergence with PMAY-G.
- Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) — ₹5,400/4,000 per household for IHHL.
How to claim — universal steps
- Identify the right scheme for your missing service (house / water / LPG / power).
- Verify Aadhaar mobile-link (UIDAI Seva Kendra if not).
- Apply on the right portal:
- PMAY-G: awaassoft.nic.in (or via BDO)
- PMAY-U 2.0: pmay-urban.gov.in
- Ujjwala: pmuy.gov.in
- Saubhagya: saubhagya.gov.in
- JJM: jaljeevanmission.gov.in (state-specific)
- Submit at Common Service Centre or directly online.
- Track status weekly.
- If stuck > 60 days, file RTI.
Common mistakes
- Believing connection requires bribe — all are 100% free; report bribes to CVC at cvc.gov.in.
- Wrong eligibility doc — Tehsildar/SDM-issued certificates only; Patwari-issued income certificates are rejected.
- Aadhaar–bank not seeded — DBT for PMAY/Ujjwala silently fails.
- Multiple LPG IDs in family — Ujjwala allows one connection per household; clean up duplicates first.
- Not claiming MGNREGA wages for PMAY house construction — 90 person-days × state rate = ₹22k–28k missed.
FAQ
Can I get all 4 schemes (PMAY + JJM + Ujjwala + Saubhagya)?
Yes — they're complementary, not mutually exclusive. A typical eligible household stacks all four. Apply each separately.
I rent in a city. Can I get PMAY-U 2.0?
Yes — under AHP (subsidised purchase) or ARHC (rental). BLC requires you to own land. See PMAY full guide.
My LPG was issued in 2020 but I've never used it. Is it cancelled?
Connection stays unless you formally surrender. To restart: visit your distributor, do KYC update, request first/next refill. Non-use over 2 years sometimes triggers re-verification.
I'm a tenant — can I get a tap connection under JJM?
Landlord's consent required (since the connection is on the property, not the person). Most municipalities accept landlord NOC + your address proof.
My village has tap pipes but no water. Can JJM help?
Yes — that's a common issue. File RTI for: (a) JJM functional certificate, (b) water source mapping, © maintenance contract. Most “no water” issues trace to ongoing pipe leakage / pump failure not addressed by Panchayat.
Can I top up my Saubhagya connection (more load)?
Saubhagya is for basic connection (1 kW). For higher load, apply directly with DISCOM (paid). Saubhagya beneficiaries who upgrade pay only the differential.
What documents do I need for Ujjwala?
Aadhaar (woman applicant), KYC at distributor, family details, proof of BPL/SECC/SC-ST/PMAY/tea-worker. Distributor walks you through — process is 1-day.
I see my neighbour got PMAY but they own a pucca house. What can I do?
File RTI for the verification report of that household. If sanction is wrong, file complaint with DM + State Vigilance. Whistleblower protection under PIDPI Act 2014.
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Related
Sources
- Helplines: 1800-11-6446 (PMAY) · 1906 (LPG) · 1912 (electricity)
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Last reviewed: 3 May 2026.