From March 2020 till Jan 2022, over 53K dwelling units built

Kolkata: Lockdowns and curbs imposed from time to time because of the COVID-19 pandemic has not been a deterrent when it comes to the execution of the Banglar Bari scheme in West Bengal. Since March 2020, when lockdown was imposed for the first time till January 2022, over 53,000 dwelling units have been constructed under the scheme.

According to data available from State Urban Development Agency (SUDA) under the aegis of state Urban Development & Municipal Affairs department, the total number of houses completed till March 2020 were 1,13,529 which has gone upto 1,66,617 by the end of January this year. So effectively, 53,088 dwelling units have been constructed under the Banglar Bari scheme.

Since its launch in the year 2017, the total number of houses approved under the scheme has been 4,91,370 while the total number of houses already completed is 1,64,000. Construction of 2,44,000 more houses are under progress.

Under the Banglar Bari scheme, people from economically weaker sections of the state get permanent shelter in the form of four storied flats or pucca houses in urban local bodies across the state. Usually there are two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom.

According to the scheme, a beneficiary from an area with more than 5 lakh population gets government (including state government's contribution of Rs 1.83 lakh) support worth Rs 3.33 lakh and himself or herself needs to contribute Rs 35,000. In the urban areas with less than 5

lakh population, one gets government's financial assistance of Rs 3.43 lakh (including state government's contribution of Rs 1.93 lakh)

and needs to contribute Rs 25,000. The central government's contribution is flat Rs 1.50 lakhs.

The state government's charges nothing for registration, provides total waiver in mutation fee and even does not impose charges for building plan sanction.

Interestingly, Bengal's contribution for the project is highest among all states under the scheme.

Each dwelling unit is geotagged at five different levels. After the geotag at the 'Non started' level , the beneficiary receives the first instalment. On reaching the milestone against the fund released , the next instalment is released in advance.

Bengal has recently ranked best among all the states in the country in geotagging of houses built under this scheme. The state has received accolades from the centre for its performance in geo tagging.