Selling of house under Kerala's LIFE mission project only after 12 years

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has revised the rules for transferring or selling houses received under the LIFE (Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment) scheme. Previously, beneficiaries could sell or transfer their homes after seven years with prior permission in unavoidable circumstances. However, the new directive mandates that such transfers can now occur after a period of 12 years.

The extension was made on the grounds that seven years was detrimental to the very purpose of the mission. The same system has been introduced for houses in other schemes that receive assistance from PMAY (Urban, Rural) and local government institutions. This also applies to taking loans from banks by mortgaging land. The time is calculated from the date the beneficiary receives the last instalment of the loan. 

Life Mission Kerala is a flagship housing initiative launched by the Kerala government in 2019 with the goal of providing affordable housing to the homeless and underprivileged families in the state. The mission is part of the government’s vision to ensure that every family in Kerala has access to a safe, dignified and permanent home. The mission intends to be a game-changer in the state’s social welfare landscape.

In October this year, the Union government had approved the construction of 1,97,000 houses in Kerala under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for the current fiscal year, with 60,000 of these designated for Scheduled Tribes. 

The Central government’s contribution to LIFE mission is Rs 72,000 per house, while overall cost per house under the LIFE mission is Rs 4 lakh. The remaining cost of the project is borne by the state and local self-governments. The fundraising continues to be a challenge for the state.

The project faced yet another uncertainty last year when the central government mandated its branding be displayed on houses. However, the state refused to agree with the demand.