Odisha government announces new housing scheme

On the fourth anniversary of his current five-year term, chief minister Naveen Patnaik-led cabinet on Monday cleared a new rural housing scheme 'Mo Ghara'targeting those left out in Central and state schemes.

The government plans to spend Rs 2,150 crore over the next two years benefitting four lakh families under the scheme, strategically timed ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and state assembly elections due in less than a year. The application process will start on June 16.

Briefing the media after the cabinet cleared the scheme, Panchayati Raj minister Pradip Amat said the lower-income and lower-middle-income groups of families, with monthly income below Rs 25,000, were left out in the existing housing schemes due to stringent eligibility criteria or due to insufficient allocation will benefit from the new scheme. "The government is committed to ensuring left out kutcha houses into pucca houses on priority," he said.

Families who had received housing assistance of smaller amounts in the past and now want to upgrade or expand their houses can also use the new scheme, he said.