BHUBANESWAR/BHAWANIPATNA: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday rolled out the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, the flagship housing scheme for low-income households not yet selected under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), at a state-level programme in Bhawanipatna of Kalahandi district.
Speaking at the event, Majhi said his government aims to construct over five lakh houses in the next three years, with a budget allocation of Rs 2,600 crore for the current year and another Rs 7,550 crore will be provided in the next three years. Around 26 lakh people have after the recent survey enrolled for housing assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), he added.
He distributed work orders to 10 beneficiaries at the event while around 60,000 work orders were issued for beneficiaries across the state. Majhi said the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana had a slower pace of construction, with fewer houses built over the past decade. “The Antyodaya Gruha Yojana will be crucial in providing shelter to those who need it most but were ignored for decades,” Majhi said.
Under this state scheme, the government will provide the beneficiaries with financial assistance of Rs 1.20 lakh to construct pucca houses. Additionally, the scheme integrates various other initiatives to provide essential amenities like toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission, LPG connection under Ujjwala Yojana, safe drinking water under Jal Jeevan Mission and electricity connection under Saubhagya Yojana.
“Victims of natural/man-made calamities, households displaced due to development projects, persons with disabilities (PwDs), widows, cancer patients, people suffering from other serious ailments who are earning members of the family, and beneficiaries of Forest Rights Act (FRA) will be benefitted under the scheme,” the chief minister informed.
Over 23 lakh houses have been constructed under PMAY-G in the state so far and another four lakh are under construction. However, the survey conducted from January 24 has identified over 26 lakh people for housing benefits, Majhi said.
He also laid foundation stones and inaugurated various projects worth Rs 617.51 crore for Kalahandi district. These projects include Juluko in-stream storage structures worth Rs 68.35 crore, which will provide drinking water to around 9,000 people in Kesinga block, and facilitate irrigation for rabi crops. A grid sub-station worth over Rs 52 crore established at Brundabahal was also inaugurated.
Similar programmes were organised in all other district headquarters which were virtually connected to the state-level function in Bhawanipatna. Work orders for Antyodaya houses were also distributed to beneficiaries by local ministers, MPs and MLAs.