BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday released the first instalment of Rs 200 crore under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana for over 50,000 beneficiaries for the construction of pucca houses.
Attending a state-level function at Balangir on the occasion of the Panchayati Raj Day, Majhi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 304 projects worth over Rs 508 crore.
Stating that the government has fixed a target to provide piped water supply to all households in the state by March 2027, the chief minister said steps are being taken to provide pucca houses to all poor by families under the Pradhan Awas Yojana (Grameen), Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhijan (PM JANMAN) and Antyodaya Gruha Yojana.
He said people of rural areas of the state have started reaping economic benefits because of implementation of several schemes for women and youth. Food security is a top priority of the government and steps have been initiated to provide electricity to all villages, he said.
He also said e-panchayat sabha has been introduced to bring transparency in the functioning of the panchayat institutions while 200 gram panchayats have received ISO certification for improving efficiency. He hoped that panchayats will continue such quality work in the days to come for the benefit of common people in rural areas.
The CM said more than 57,000 women panchayat representatives have taken the leadership role in implementation of development work in rural areas. “Our aim now is to give more representations to women in State Assembly and Lok Sabha,” he added.