Odisha Govt. To Provide Rs.1444 Crore House Repairing Assistance To 30 Lakh Families

Bhubaneswar, Dec 21 : Nearly 30 lakh families in Odisha will receive house repairing assistance of Rs.3000 and Rs.5000, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced here on Tuesday.
In a historic decision, the Odisha cabinet decided to provide Rs 3,000 for repairing of houses allotted under Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana, Nirman Shramik Pucca Ghar, and Mines area Pucca Ghar Yojana.
The cabinet also decided to provide Rs 5,000 house repair assistance to people who have been deprived of a house under the central scheme and are now living in misery.
The decision was taken at the state cabinet chaired by Patnaik. It will benefit 30 lakh families in the state for which the government would spend a sum of Rs.1444 crore.
Addressing the people of the state through video conferencing after the cabinet meeting, Patnaik said Odisha is the first state in the country to take such a decision.
He said the assistance would be deposited in the bank accounts of the beneficiaries and 30 lakh families would be benefited from it.
A sum of Rs 1444 crore would be spent for the purpose and the amount will be spent from the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana of the state government, the Chief Minister said.
He said a house is the identity of a family and a good home is everybody’s dream.
Odisha, Patnaik said, is facing floods and cyclones every year. So shelter security is the basis of all security.
A good roof over every family was the dream of Biju Patnaik, former Odisha chief minister, and father of the incumbent. The government has launched the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana to fulfill Biju Patnaik’s dream.
Patnaik said a cabinet decision was taken in 2014 to convert all kuchha (thatched) houses to Pucca (concrete) houses. The scheme has made good progress and the government has so far spent over
Rs 22,000 crore for the purpose.
The government, he said, has launched Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana, Nirman Sharmik Pucca Ghar Yojana, and my area Pucca Ghar Yojana from its resources to provide a Pucca house to poor people in a village.
The state government, the Chief Minister said, is also providing around 50 percent of the cost for houses provided to the people under Prime Minister Awas Yojana (G).
Patnaik said many eligible families have been waiting for a long for a house under the central scheme and he had drawn the attention of the central government on the issue time and again.
It is a matter of regret that the Scheduled Tribe and the people of Western Odisha are affected by it.
The Chief Minister said he knew that the people of the state are living in misery due to covid and facing hardship to undertake even minor repairs of their houses.
Considering the plight of the people, the state cabinet on Tuesday took a historic decision to help the poor.
The Chief Minister said he would not let the brothers and sisters of the state face problems for houses.
‘’ I want all to live with dignity and we are trying our best to get houses for you under the central scheme.” Patnaik said adding if the central government did not accept your justified demand the state government would initiate steps to provide houses to you,’’ Patnaik said.