Banglar Bari Rural Housing Scheme

• 27 May 2025

Why in News? 

The Chief Minister of West Bengal has announced that 12 lakh beneficiaries have received the second installment under the Banglar Bari rural housing scheme. 

• The remaining 16 lakh beneficiaries under Phase 1 will receive funds in December 2025, while Phase 2 of the scheme is set to commence in May 2026.

Key Points

• About Banglar Bari Housing Scheme: 
  • The scheme, launched on 25th June, 2015, aims to provide housing to the rural poor, especially after the Centre halted funds under the PM Awaas Yojana. 
  • To avail of the benefits under the scheme, the beneficiaries must belong to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category. 
  • The housing mission is being executed through four distinct verticals, offering beneficiaries flexibility in choosing the most suitable option: 
    • In-situ Slum rehabilitation of Slum Dwellers with the participation of private developers using land as a resource (ISSR) 
    • Promotion of Affordable Housing for weaker sections through credit linked subsidy (CLSS) 
    • Affordable Housing in Partnership with Public & Private sectors (AHP) 
    • Subsidy for beneficiary-led individual house construction (BLC) 
• Chaa Sundari Extension Scheme: 
  • Workers are receiving free ration, water, electricity, and healthcare, land rights (pattas), and financial aid under the Chaa Sundari Extension Scheme. 
    • The scheme was launched in 2020 by the government of West Bengal. 
    • It aims to provide pucca dwelling houses to the permanent tea garden workers of closed/sick tea gardens who do not have pucca houses of their own by way of allotment through the construction of dwelling units on lands in the tea gardens. 
  • The scheme currently benefits over 8,000 families in Jalpaiguri and 13,000 families in Alipurduar. 

Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY) 

• Launch: To achieve the objective of “Housing for All” by 2022, the erstwhile rural housing scheme Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) was restructured to Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) from 1st April 2016, as a centrally sponsored scheme. 
  • The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for implementation of the PMAY-G during FY 2024-25 to 2028-29. 
• Aim: To provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all rural families, who are homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated houses by the end of March 2022.  
  • To help rural people Below the Poverty Line (BPL) in the construction of dwelling units and upgradation of existing unserviceable kutcha houses by assisting in the form of a full grant. 
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development.  
• Status: States/UTs have sanctioned 2.85 crore houses to the beneficiaries and 2.22 crore houses have been completed till March 2023.