New Cities Under Rajiv Awas Yojana : The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) note for phase II of Rajiv AwasYojana is under inter-ministerial consultation wherein it is proposed to extend the coverage of Rajiv Awas Yojana to all towns and cities as against 250 class I towns stipulated earlier. Cities having population more than 5 lakhs, would be included automatically under Rajiv AwasYojana. For smaller cities & towns, the choice of cities would be made by the States, according to their aspirations, financial and resource arrangements in consultation with the Central Government. It is also being proposed that Central share for cities shall be higher than the presently allowed 50% and for North Eastern Region and Hilly States will be 90% of the project cost. . This was stated by Shri Ajay Maken, Union Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA), in the Rajya Sabha today, in a written reply to a question by Shrimati Smriti Zubin Irani.
