RANCHI: Jharkhand Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval to the proposal of ‘Abua Awas Yojna’ at a cost of more than Rs 16,000 crore under which, three-room houses will be made available to 8 lakh needy in the next three years.
According to Cabinet Secretary, needy and destitute will be provided three room pucca houses along with a kitchen spread over 31 square meters constructed at the cost of Rs 2 lakh per unit. The Cabinet gave its approval to a total of 29 proposals during the meeting.
“A total of 8 lakh housing units will be allotted in the next three years, 2 lakh houses will be given during the current financial year 2023-24, 3.5 lakh in the second year and 2.5 lakh houses will be provided to the poor and needy in 2025-26,” said the Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel.
Those who have not been given any benefits of the housing schemes carried out by the state and central government, households living in kuccha houses, homeless and destitute people, PVTG households, legally rescued bonded labours and the households who have lost their house in natural calamities, will be eligible to get the benefits of the scheme, she added.
Dadel informed that number will be given for each of the criteria and permanent waiting list will be provided on the basis of that. Final approval to the waiting list will be given t by the Gram Sabha, she said.
“Households with physically or mentally handicaps members and those headed by the women will be given priority in the allotment of houses under the scheme. The houses will be constructed in three phases at a cost of Rs 16 thousand 320 crore,” said Dadel.
In addition to that, the beneficiary will receive maximum benefits equivalent of 95 unskilled man days at the current wage rate (revised from time to time) for the construction of his house under MGNREGA for the said scheme, she added.
Calling it a historical decision, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that those who are poor and needy who were not able to get benefits of the housing scheme carried out by either the central of state government, will be given pucca houses from its own account.
“Rather, they will be given bigger house than those they were getting under Prime Minister Housing Scheme at a larger cost so that they can lead a dignified life,” said the Chief Minister.
Soren further said that Jharkhand being a poor state with a significant population loving below poverty line, people here are already being provided food grains and clothes, and will be assured pucca houses making all the three basic requirements -- roti, kapda aur makaan, making available to them.
Besides that, the State Cabinet has also approved Gram Gadi Yojana under which 30 per cent of the total population – elderly, women, students, freedom fighters and children of the state will be benefited out of it and get an opportunity to travel free of cost.