Patna: The Bihar government has set a major target to ensure that no person in the state will be homeless by the year 2030. To achieve this goal, land is being given to landless families so they can build their own houses. The scheme is being run under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), which has already helped lakhs of poor families in rural areas get permanent housing over the last decade.
According to data from the Rural Development Department, 39,14,547 poor families in Bihar have received permanent houses in the last 10 years. For this, the government has spent more than Rs 53,949 crore. Each beneficiary gets Rs 1,54,000 to build their home — Rs 1,20,000 for house construction, Rs 22,050 as wages under MNREGA for 90 days, and Rs 12,000 for toilet construction. To benefit from the scheme, the family must have at least 25 square meters of land.
The highest progress was made between the financial years 2016–17 and 2021–22. In this phase, 37.58 lakh families were approved for housing construction against the official target of 37.11 lakh, and on-site inspection later confirmed that 36.67 lakh houses were successfully completed. Officials say that these homes have not only provided shelter but have also helped improve the living conditions and social security of rural households.
The second phase of the scheme, which covers the financial years 2024–25 and 2025–26, is also moving forward strongly. Out of the target of 12,21,605 houses, approvals for 12,74,067 houses have already been issued. The government has released the first installment to 11,35,902 people, the second installment to 7,47,352 people, and the third installment to 3,26,897 people. So far, 2,46,986 families have completed building their homes.
Overall, the last 10 years have seen steady progress in providing housing to the rural poor, and the government believes that the goal of making Bihar free from homelessness by 2030 is achievable. With both land and financial support being provided, the initiative aims to ensure that every family in the state has a safe and permanent place to live.
