The Centre has hiked the monetary assistance by 25,000 rupees under its housing scheme for the poor, giving priority to the scheduled castes, tribals and minorities.

Under the new guidelines for the Indira Awas Yojana, the Centre also decided to transfer its share of funding to the state governments directly instead of allocating it to the districts.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said that the cost of a 250 Square-Foot housing unit has been hiked from 45,000 rupees to 70,000 rupees.

He said for naxal affected districts and hill states, the per unit revised cost is 75,000 rupees. Mr. Ramesh said the Centre has also doubled the assistance given to states for procuring a homestead site for the landless poor from 10,000 to 20,000 rupees.