Ranchi/Khunti: In a historic move, the state government is taking significant steps towards the upliftment of the indigenous and economically disadvantaged people of Jharkhand. In a ceremony held at the NHPC Ground in Torpa, Khunti, Chief Minister Hemant Soren distributed approval letters for the Abuja housing scheme to 3,887 beneficiaries from Khunti and 4,000 beneficiaries from Simdega.
The first installment for housing construction has been transferred to each beneficiary, marking a crucial milestone in the Abuja Housing Scheme. The state government aims to construct around 75,000 Abuja houses in Khunti and Simdega across various phases.
Chief Minister Soren emphasized that providing housing to the underprivileged was a commitment made by the state government to the central government, which had initially allocated a list of eight lakh individuals for housing. However, as the central government did not approve the housing for the economically disadvantaged, the state government took the initiative to construct Abuja houses independently.
Under this scheme, each house will consist of three rooms and a kitchen, a significant improvement from the earlier Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, which offered two rooms. The new Abuja Housing Scheme provides financial assistance of ₹2 lakh per house. The scheme received an overwhelming response with nearly 30 lakh applications during its launch.
Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Soren highlighted the various employment opportunities being created for the youth, citing the recent employment of thousands of youths in the garment industry at the Oramanjhi Industrial Area near Ranchi.
Furthermore, he announced a reduction in the age limit for pensions for Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), and all categories of women to 50 years. The Chief Minister cautioned against middlemen exploiting the housing distribution process and assured a transparent system.
Present at the occasion were Minister Alamgir Alam, Minister Satyanand Bhokta, Chief Secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey, Deputy Inspector General of Police Anoop Birtar, District Magistrates of Khunti and Simdega, and other district officials, along with a large number of beneficiaries.
