Jharkhand gives nod to ambitious Rs 16,320 cr housing project for needy

The Jharkhand government on Wednesday gave its nod to the ambitious Rs 16,320 crore project for building 8 lakh houses for the needy by March 31, 2026, as promised by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on August 15.

Two lakh people will be provided houses in the ongoing fiscal, followed by 3.5 lakh in the next fiscal and 2.5 lakh in the financial year 2025-26 at an expenditure of Rs 4,107 crore, Rs 7,107 crore and Rs 5,107 crore respectively, an official said.

"The Jharkhand Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren gave its nod to 'Abua Awas Yojna (AAY) under which 8 lakh houses will be built by March 31, 2026," the official said after the cabinet meeting.

The state government has made a provision for a clean kitchen with three rooms under AAY at a total investment of Rs 16,320 crore, the official said.

Hoisting the national flag at the Morabadi Ground here on the 77th Independence Day, Soren had announced: "I had promised three-room houses for all in the state. In the coming two years the government will ensure homes to the needy from its own funds.

The official said at present permanent houses have been provided to about 16 lakh people of the state under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Rural and about 50 thousand people of the state under Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Awas Yojana.

"Still, there are a large number of people in the state who are homeless or living in kutcha houses. It is proposed to start 'Abua Awas Yojana' (AAY) as a state-supported scheme to provide permanent houses to such poor people," he said.

Benefits of the scheme would be provided to families living in kutcha houses, homeless and destitute families, particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) families, who are victims of natural disaster and legally released bonded labourers among others.

A list of eligible beneficiaries will be prepared in the gram sabha and families fulfilling the maximum criteria will get maximum marks in their particular category ST/SC/BC/minority/general.

As per the details of the scheme: "If a particular family fulfils the six criteria, it will get 8 points and will get the highest priority in its category. Similarly, eligible families will be allotted priority marks between 1-8 and further everyone will be ranked on the basis of marks obtained and a waiting list will be prepared. The permanent waiting list will be finalised in the gram sabha".

In case of a tie between two families on the basis of marks, priority will be accorded to a family which has no adult member, family with a disabled member, or a female-headed family.

Benefits of the scheme will not be given to families who already have a permanent residence on or after January 1, 1990, those who have a wheeler, fishing boat, etc and in case of any member of the family serving or retired in government or semi-government job.

Those families with 5 acres or more irrigated land will also be debarred from it.