Archive · 14 Aug 2026
Kerala Agrees to Union Govt's PMAY Logo Requirement for Houses
The government of India has a program, called the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, or PMAY, that helps build houses for people who do not have homes.
Kerala, a state in India, will use this program to build houses for 30,000 homeless families.
The central government said it would help pay for the houses only if the PMAY project logo is painted on the front of each house.
That logo may also show the face of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
Kerala's earlier government did not want the logo because it felt it would hurt the pride of the families who get the houses.
That government said having your own house is a matter of pride and should not be labelled like a free gift.
Now the new Kerala government has agreed to put the logo on the houses, and both governments will sign an agreement worth Rs 450 crore.
Under the new plan, each house costs about Rs 4 lakh to build, and the money is shared by the central government, the state, the local town council, and the family.
Some politicians, like the CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan, still say labelling the houses is wrong.
They say the sign makes it look like the houses were given for free, even though the families also have to pay part of the cost.
Kerala agreed to the Union government's demand to display the PMAY project logo on houses built for homeless beneficiaries.
The state will sign a Rs 450 crore MoU to build houses for 30,000 homeless families under PMAY-Urban.
Each beneficiary gets Rs 4 lakh total assistance: Rs 1.50 lakh from the Centre, Rs 1 lakh from the state, and Rs 1.5 lakh shared by the municipality and beneficiary.
The earlier LDF government under Pinarayi Vijayan resisted the logo, citing beneficiaries' dignity, while the current government led by VD Satheesan agreed without objections.
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan called the house labelling 'unacceptable,' saying it implies the houses were free gifts.
- Who
- The Kerala state government (led by VD Satheesan according to the article), the Union government, and 30,000 homeless beneficiaries in Kerala.
- What
- Kerala agreed to the Union government's requirement to display the PMAY project logo on houses built for homeless beneficiaries, ending its earlier resistance.
- When
- Date not specified in the articles.
- Where
- Kerala, India.
- Why
- The Union government made the mandatory project logo a condition for its financial contribution to the scheme, and the state agreed in order to sign the MoU and secure funding.
Critics of the logo (CPI(M) and the earlier LDF government)
Union Government and current state government
Mandatory project logo on houses
Critics of the logo (CPI(M) and the earlier LDF government)
Painting the project logo, which may include the Prime Minister's face, on beneficiaries' houses is unacceptable and hurts their dignity; having your own house is a matter of pride. Labelling homes implies they were free gifts.
Union Government and current state government
Keeping the mandatory project logo is a stipulated condition for the Union government's contribution to the project, and the current state government agreed to the requirement without objections.
Funding pressure and cost sharing
Critics of the logo (CPI(M) and the earlier LDF government)
The Union government threatened to withdraw its contribution to force the logo on the state, and the revised guidelines require a 25% contribution from the homeless beneficiary, burdening the poor.
Union Government and current state government
The revised guidelines define clear cost-sharing among the Centre, state, municipality and beneficiary, and accepting these terms allows the housing project to move forward.
- Scheme
- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-Urban)
- Beneficiaries
- 30,000 homeless families in Kerala
- MoU value
- Rs 450 crore
- Total assistance per beneficiary
- Rs 4 lakh
- Central share
- Rs 1.50 lakh per beneficiary
- State share
- Rs 1 lakh per beneficiary
- Municipality and beneficiary share
- Rs 1.5 lakh per beneficiary
- Beneficiary contribution
- 25% of total project cost under revised guidelines