Odisha will construct 2.92 lakh additional houses under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana after the state government extended the rural housing scheme by two years to 2029 and redirected funds from repairs to new construction. The decision is intended to expand coverage among poor and deprived households who remain outside existing housing programmes.
Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the changes on Thursday, saying the move would help Odisha meet its goal of providing homes to all eligible families in rural areas at the earliest. The government has retained the scheme’s overall project cost at Rs 7,550 crore.
Under the revised plan, Rs 3,500 crore earlier earmarked for the repair component will be diverted towards constructing new houses. Officials said the reallocation would enable the state to bring more beneficiaries into the programme without increasing its overall project cost.
The expanded programme will cover beneficiaries who had received housing assistance of Rs 48,500 or less, along with other eligible families left out of existing housing schemes. The Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water department has been directed to conduct a fresh survey to identify households that qualify for support.
The Antyodaya Gruha Yojana was originally designed to construct houses for five lakh families. Its stated purpose is to support economically weaker households that were not considered eligible under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and continue to live in vulnerable conditions. The new construction target therefore focuses on a gap between households covered by mainstream housing assistance and families still without permanent homes.
The government has also increased incentives linked to construction speed. Beneficiaries who complete their houses within five months will now receive Rs 35,000, compared with the earlier incentive of Rs 20,000. Those completing construction within seven months will receive Rs 20,000, double the previous incentive of Rs 10,000.
The fresh survey will determine the additional beneficiary base and is the next administrative step in expanding the scheme. The state government said the revised provisions would allow a larger number of poor and deprived households to receive housing assistance and secure permanent homes.
