Patna: Families owning motorcycles will now be eligible for benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday.
He also announced that families owning up to five acres of unirrigated land or 2.5 acres of irrigated land would no longer be excluded from the rural housing scheme.
Chouhan made the announcement at Bapu Sabhagar in Patna while handing over house keys to beneficiaries of the rural housing programme.
Rs 9,402 Crore Allocation For Bihar
Chouhan said Bihar would receive Rs 9,402 crore under rural development schemes by March of the 2026-27 financial year.
An additional Rs 10,800 crore would subsequently be made available, he said. The funding would amount to an average allocation of around Rs 5.84 crore per panchayat, according to the minister.
He also said the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana had been implemented in Bihar. Under the scheme, farmers would receive compensation for crop losses caused by drought, floods, fire and other specified risks.
2.35 Lakh Houses Completed
The event also saw the distribution of keys to selected beneficiaries from among 2.35 lakh houses completed during the 2026-27 financial year.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said the pace of construction of permanent houses for poor families had increased significantly under PMAY-G.
According to Choudhary, around 30 lakh permanent houses were constructed in Bihar under the erstwhile Indira Awas Yojana between 1986 and 2014, although many remained incomplete.
He said 50 lakh permanent houses had been sanctioned in Bihar between 2014 and 2026. The average annual construction rate had increased from 1.07 lakh houses during the earlier 28-year period to 4.17 lakh houses a year, he said.
A state government survey conducted in 2018 had identified 19 lakh families without permanent houses. The Bihar government contributes 40% of the cost of houses constructed under the scheme.
Target Of 1,118,937 Houses
Chouhan handed over a letter to the chief minister outlining Bihar’s target of constructing 1,118,937 houses under PMAY-G during the 2026-27 financial year.
The Centre will provide Rs 13,427 crore in financial assistance for the target, according to the announcement.
Choudhary thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chouhan for the allocation and described the occasion as significant for Bihar.
H.R. Srinivasa, Additional Chief Secretary of the Rural Development Department, also addressed the gathering.
Deputy Chief Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Rural Development Minister Shrawon Kumar, Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, Cooperation Minister Ram Kripal Yadav, Rural Works Minister Sunil Kumar, Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal and Social Welfare Minister Shweta Gupta were among those present at the event.
