Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday distributed the first instalment of Rs 40,000 each to 48,693 beneficiaries of Antyodaya Gruha Yojana (AGY). Majhi said his government launched the AGY on March 30 to provide pucca houses to the poor. A total of Rs 194.77 crore was disbursed as part of the first instalment.

Majhi said an outlay of Rs 7,550 crore has been allocated for AGY for the period 2024–25 to 2027–28, targeting the construction of 5 lakh houses.

‘’While Rs 40,000 was distributed as the first instalment today, the beneficiaries will be given Rs 65,000 in the second instalment and Rs 15,000 in the third, making a total of Rs 1.20 lakh,’’ he said. The Chief Minister further said the beneficiaries, who complete their houses within 4 months, will be given an incentive of Rs 20,000 and those, who complete their houses within six months, will be given Rs 10,000 incentive.

The scheme also incorporates other initiatives to provide essential facilities including toilets through Swachh Bharat Mission, LPG connection via Ujjwala Yojana, safe drinking water under Jal Jeevan Mission and electricity connection through Saubhagya Yojana. It will cover victims of natural/man-made calamities, households displaced due to development projects, persons with disabilities (PwDs), widows, cancer patients, people suffering from other serious ailments who are earning members of the family and beneficiaries of Forest Rights Act (FRA).

On this occasion, Majhi also laid foundation stones for construction of new offices of 471 gram panchayats in 28 out of 30 districts. “Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are working to develop gram panchayats as centres of public welfare and service,” Majhi said.

The Chief Minister said these offices will be “new temples of service” which would function as one-stop service centres, ensuring respect, convenience and timely solutions to citizens under one roof. The Chief Minister said that Rs 35 lakh will be spent for the construction of each gram panchayat office jointly by the Central and State governments.