Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Sunday formally launched Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, the flagship housing scheme for low-income households not yet selected under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), at a special function held at Bhawanipatna in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.
Work orders for 60,000 houses were issued under the scheme on the inaugural day. The target is to build over 5 lakh houses in the next 3 years with budgetary provision of Rs 7,550 crore with Rs 2,603 crore, which includes interest subvention, set aside in 2025-26 under this initiative, complementing existing schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) and Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN).
The new scheme will also cover people suffering from critical ailments, differently-abled, widows, and those affected by natural calamities, fire incidents and elephant attacks. Additionally, families of martyrs and Padma awardees will be eligible for housing benefits.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE & OTHER FACILITIES
Under Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, each beneficiary will be provided housing assistance of Rs 1.20 lakh to construct a 25-square-meter house, excluding the toilet area, and various necessary facilities in coordination with other schemes. Toilets will be provided from Swachh Bharat Mission, cooking gas from the Ujjwala Yojana, clean drinking water from Jala Jeevan Mission, electricity connection from the Saubhagya Yojana.
These apart, the beneficiaries will
be provided with paid work as unskilled labourers for 90 to 95 days under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
The financial benefits will be transferred directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the DBT process.
To encourage timely construction, beneficiaries completing their homes within four to six months of receiving the first instalment will qualify for additional incentives—Rs 20,000 for completion within four months and Rs 10,000 for completion within six months.
The CM informed that the definitions of ‘household’ and ‘pucca ghar’ have been simplified under the scheme. “A permanent house must have reinforced cement concrete (RCC) roofs and cement walls. Structures with asbestos, tin, or tiled roofs will also be considered. A household would include a husband, wife, dependent parents, and children,” he said.
The scheme is expected to significantly improve the lives of the underprivileged, aligning with the state government’s vision of ‘Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha.’
Those interested to avail the benefit of the scheme may contact panchayat office or the block development officer for online application in the official website. Applicants can also contact the helpline number 0674-6817777 for assistance.
PROJECTS LAUNCH & INAUGURATION
The CM also launched projects worth Rs 617.51 crore for Kalahandi district on the occasion. While Rs 223.66 crore worth projects were inaugurated, he laid foundation stone for another worth Rs 393.85 crore.
Among the key projects is the Julco instream storage structure, built at a cost of Rs 68.35 crore. This initiative is set to provide drinking water to approximately 9,000 people of Kesinga block and support irrigation for Rabi crops.
He also inaugurated a grid substation and KV line at Bandhabahal, developed at of more than Rs 52 crore, which will enhance the region’s power supply. Several infrastructure projects for drinking water, education, welfare pavilions, health centres, and roads were also launched.
Majhi said that these projects will further accelerate the development of the district.