Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren will hand over the first installment of the government’s flagship Abua Awas (housing) scheme to selected beneficiaries on January 23, an official said on Friday.
The CM had launched the scheme on November 15 to provide houses to those who were deprived of the benefit under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). Rural development secretary Chandra Sekhar told reporters that the first installment of the scheme will be given by the chief minister during a programme in Khunti district on January 23.
“Around 8,000 beneficiaries from Khunti and Simdega will be given the installments on the occasion,” he said. The second event for the same scheme will be held in East Singhbhum district on January 29 where CM will distribute the installments among beneficiaries of East Singhbhum and Saraikela Kharswan districts.
Jharkhand government had received applications for the scheme during the third leg of Apki Yojna, Apki Sarkar, Apke Dwar (your scheme, your government at your doorstep) that started from November 24 and concluded on December 29. Out of around 31 lakh applications received, 29.97 lakh were given entry to the Abua Awas portal.
He said the government had earlier aimed to provide houses to eight lakh beneficiaries. “Keeping in mind the applications, the government has decided to provide houses to all who are homeless or living in kutcha houses,” he said.
So far, around 69 per cent applications were found to be eligible for the scheme during field verifications. The gram sabha scrutiny is also underway where some rejections have taken place, he added. Sekhar said beneficiaries will be given Rs 2 lakh for construction of three-room house in four installments. Construction will be completed in 12 months, he said.
Talking about Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), he said they did not receive any fresh target after March 2022. Jharkhand had got the target of building 15,92,171 houses under the PMAY and of which 15.58 lakh houses have already been completed. Rest 34,000 houses would be completed this year.
