Patna: The Centre has approved 11,18,937 pucca houses for poor families in Bihar under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, with an allocation of ₹13,427 crore, Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Thursday.
Speaking at a state-level Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana programme in Patna, Chouhan also announced measures related to crop insurance, women’s livelihoods and Farmer IDs. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and several state ministers attended the programme.
More than 24 lakh houses approved in two years
Chouhan said 24,30,327 houses had been approved for Bihar over the past two years, involving an expenditure of ₹29,164 crore.
The sanction letter for the latest 11,18,937 houses was handed over to the Chief Minister at the programme.
“A pucca house is not a structure of brick and cement. It is a symbol of dignity and confidence for an entire family,” Chouhan said. He added that a permanent house gives families protection from winter, summer, rain and storms.
He said government funds were being transferred to beneficiaries with greater transparency and described housing support as an entitlement of poor families rather than an act of charity. Chouhan also credited coordination between the Centre and the Bihar government for faster implementation of the housing programme.
PM Fasal Bima Yojana to be implemented in Bihar
Chouhan said the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana would now be implemented in Bihar, giving farmers insurance protection against crop losses caused by floods, drought, excessive rainfall and other natural calamities.
Eligible farmers would receive compensation in the event of crop damage, helping reduce some of the risks associated with farming, he said.
Chouhan welcomed the Bihar government’s decision to implement the crop insurance scheme and urged farmers to understand its provisions and make timely use of the benefits available to them.
He said the Centre and the state were also working on procurement, agricultural support systems and access to technology to improve farm incomes and make agriculture more resilient.
“If the farmer is strong, the village will be strong; and if the village is strong, Bihar will be strong,” he said.
She-Marts planned to support women’s SHGs
The Union Minister also spoke about expanding income opportunities for women associated with Self-Help Groups in Bihar.
He said lakhs of women in the state were progressing through SHGs and many had already become Lakhpati Didis. Self-employment, group enterprises and access to banking and financial services were helping rural women increase their incomes and become entrepreneurs, he added.
Chouhan said efforts would be made to establish She-Marts in every district to provide Jeevika Didis and women’s Self-Help Groups with places to sell their products.
He said women’s groups needed support not only in production but also in product development, packaging and marketing.
“Products made in villages can succeed only when there is a proper market for them,” Chouhan said.
Bihar creates 53.83 lakh Farmer IDs
Chouhan also commended Bihar for creating 53,83,000 Farmer IDs.
He said the digital identity system would help government schemes reach eligible farmers more quickly, simplify beneficiary identification and improve transparency. He expressed confidence that registration of the remaining farmers would also be completed soon.
Chouhan also referred to the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, saying roads, housing and agriculture were fundamental to improving rural livelihoods. Better roads could improve access to markets and services, while permanent houses and stronger agriculture could provide greater security and income opportunities for rural families, he said.
Chouhan criticises Congress over Vande Mataram
During his address, Chouhan also criticised the Congress over the singing of Vande Mataram, saying the national song should be sung in its entirety.
He said Vande Mataram was a matter of national pride rather than an issue belonging to any political party and accused the Congress of vote-bank politics. Referring to the song’s role during the freedom movement, he said there could be no compromise on an issue connected with national pride.
A large number of women, beneficiaries, public representatives and officials attended the programme. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar, Revenue and Reconstruction Minister Vinod Kumar Jaiswal, Cooperation Minister Ramkripal Yadav, Sunil Kumar, Rural Works Minister Savita Gupta and the Social Welfare Minister were among those present.