

BHUBANESWAR: The state government will issue work orders to more beneficiaries under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana on September 17 to mark the 75th birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, informed Rural Development minister Rabi Narayan Naik on Monday.
He said the state government has planned to construct over five lakh houses under the scheme in the next three years, with a budget allocation of Rs 2,600 crore for the current year. Another Rs 7,550 crore will be provided in the next three years, he added.
Under Antyodaya Gruha Yojana (AGY), poorest of the poor who did not figure in the priority list prepared by previous government, economically weaker sections, persons with disabilities (PwDs), widows, cancer patients, people suffering from other serious ailments, victims of natural/man-made calamities and beneficiaries of Forest Rights Act (FRA) will be be covered.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the AGY at a special function at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district on May 30 this year with distribution of work orders to 60,000 beneficiaries across the state. Naik said all left-out eligible households will be covered under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojan - Gramin (PMAY-G) and AGY in phases.
The state government has received applications from nearly 37.90 lakh individuals for housing assistance under PMAY-G. Earlier, the minister had announced that work orders to the new eligible beneficiaries will be distributed from November.