State PCS - West Bengal (WBCS)

• 27 May 2025

Banglar Bari Rural Housing Scheme

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.