Odisha targets to construct 3 lakh Rural Houses in 2016-17

By Tapan Maharana: The Government of Odisha has set a target to construct 2 lakh 96 thousand houses in the current fiscal. Total financial allocation for this would be about Rs. 3553 crore of which Rs.2217 crore is central allocation, according to the Department of Rural Development under the ministry of Rural Development.

Interestingly, implementation of the rural housing scheme in Odisha has found to be satisfactory in the previous years. In the 2015-16 financial year ended in March 31st 2016, Odisha has achieved stupendous 200% against the national average of only 82%. While the annual target was 1,35,403 units of house , the state constructed about 2lakh 71,111 units of house under the scheme. In the national level, while the total annual target was 2079146 units, as many as 1713502 units were constructed.

Meanwhile, the growing number of incomplete houses has remained a cause of concern for the state and central government. The central government has taken up the matter with state Chief Secretaries to expediate the pending projects. Also the state governments were provided more financial autonomy in financial management of the project.  “ 2014-15 onwards funds for the scheme were being transferred through the Consolidated Fund of the State, giving the State a greater role in managing funds. State was considered as a unit for all financial purposes” a Department of Rural Development report said.

However, the Union Government has set a target to construct about 32 lakh 60,997 units of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yajna (PMAY) /Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) in the current financial year (2016-17), according to a report by the union Rural Development Ministry.