• Five lakh pucca houses announced for eligible families under PMAY-G.
• Odisha records 29 lakh Lakhpati Didis.
• Women entrepreneurs to get loans without guarantees.
• Every panchayat to receive up to ₹2 crore over five years.

GG News Bureau
Balangir, 14th Nov: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced five lakh houses for poor families in Odisha under PMAY-G houses Odisha, assuring that no eligible family will be left without a pucca home.

Addressing a state-level programme in Balangir on Saturday in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Chouhan said a fresh survey had been completed to identify eligible families. Houses will be provided in phases.

The Centre and the Odisha government will also jointly support the installation of rooftop solar panels in beneficiaries’ homes. The initiative aims to reduce electricity bills and allow families to earn additional income by selling surplus power.

29 lakh women become Lakhpati Didis
Chouhan said 29 lakh women in Odisha had achieved Lakhpati Didi status, exceeding the target of 27 lakh a year ahead of schedule. He credited the state government’s efforts and highlighted the role of the Subhadra Yojana in supporting women’s financial independence.

He also announced plans to extend loans worth ₹10 lakh crore through banks to women across the country over the next five years. Women seeking to start individual businesses or livelihood activities will also be able to access loans without guarantees, he said.

Balangir agriculture college to be developed as a leading institution
The Union Minister said the new agriculture college in Balangir would be developed into one of the country’s leading agricultural institutions with support from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Centre.

A roadmap is also being prepared to modernise agriculture in Odisha. One proposed initiative involves installing solar panels above farmland, allowing farmers to grow fruits and vegetables beneath them while earning from solar power. Chouhan added that eligible farmers left out of the PM-KISAN scheme had been included in the beneficiary list.

Panchayats to receive up to ₹2 crore
Under the Viksit Bharat–G RAM G scheme, Odisha is expected to receive around ₹4,000 crore this year. Chouhan said every panchayat would receive ₹25 lakh to ₹50 lakh annually, with smaller panchayats eligible for up to ₹1 crore and larger ones up to ₹2 crore over five years.

The funds can be used for roads, drains, schools, panchayat buildings, rural connectivity and water conservation projects. He also referred to the approval of 1,700 kilometres of roads under the fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

Chouhan called on people to work towards the vision of a developed Odisha, rooted in the state’s culture and heritage. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and several state ministers, elected representatives and local leaders attended the programme, where the foundation stone for the new agriculture college was also laid.