Over 31.08 lakh houses completed under Rural housing schemes in Odisha in last six years

Reviewing the progress of rural housing schemes, state Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra on Saturday directed to allot pucca houses to all 8,575 eligible families under primitive and vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) category in a time-bound manner.

"Reviewing the progress of rural housing schemes like Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramees), Pucca Ghar Yojana (mining), Nirman Shramik (construction workers) Pucca Ghar Yojana, and Mastya Jeebi ( Fishermen) Basagruha Yojana Chief Secretary Mohapatra directed to allot pucca houses to all 8,575 eligible families under primitive and vulnerable tribal groups ( PVTGs) category in a time-bound manner," the state government said in a statement.

Mohapatra was also directed to issue suitable instructions for the allocation of homestead land to landless families by simplifying and leveraging provisions under different schemes.

"Chief Secretary Mohapatra also asked the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management to issue suitable instructions for allocation of homestead land to landless families by simplifying and leveraging provisions under different schemes. Collectors were asked to allot them the land where they were staying to the extent possible."

Chief Secretary emphasized that the landless people were really poor, and in all fitness of the things they should be brought under the rural housing scheme.

The review showed that 31, 08, 471 houses allotted to beneficiaries under different schemes were completed and 1,75,960 houses were at different stages of construction.

Chief Secretary directed to facilitate these beneficiaries through field level contact and resolve the problems if any faced by them for speedy construction of the houses.

"Around 39,198 beneficiaries found eligible for rural housing schemes were landless. Out of the 2,326 families were allotted land and the cases of balance families were under consideration as many of them were staying on objectionable lands," it said

Chief Secretary further directed the revenue officials to expedite the process and allot them available government land.

"Further, considering the case of mining workers in mine areas, Chief Secretary directed the PR and DW department to make a survey of the housing requirement for the mineworkers staying in hamlets. The departments of Steel and Mines and PR and DW were asked to work out the modalities for building pucca houses for them in the shape of mining colonies," the statement added.

The case of the families displaced for irrigation, infrastructural projects, and the families were taken out of the reserve forest were also discussed in the meeting.

He also directed to include such types of families under rural housing on a priority basis.

Discussions in the meeting showed that around 12.25 lakh families who were found otherwise eligible through field enquiry should be included under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for which Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had requested the Central Government to open the PMAY portal for a month. (ANI)