With a view to providing proper shelters, free of cost, to the poor, the Government in Housing Department has laid proper focus on construction of houses for the Economically Weaker Section of people. This scheme is being implemented in the rural areas and non-Municipal urban areas in coordination with seven other Government Departments under the name of ‘Gitanjali’ and ‘Amar Thikana’.
a) Fisheries Department
b) Backward Classes Welfare Department
c) Minority Affairs & Madrasah Education Department
d) Forest Department
e) Sundarban Affairs Department and
f) Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs Department.
The objective of the scheme is to provide proper shelters to the economically weaker section of society as well as to create additional employment opportunities for construction workers etc. The cost of such dwelling units for new construction on beneficiary’s land in rural areas varies across the span and terrain of the state as follows owing to different soil and climatic conditions:
(a) Rs. 1.67 lakh for beneficiaries in general residing in Rural areas of plains;
(b) Rs. 1.23 lakh for fishermen residing in non-coastal areas to be implemented by Fisheries Department;
(c) Rs. 1.94 lakh for beneficiaries residing in the forest fringe areas of Sunderbans (to be implemented by Forest Department), and, for beneficiaries residing in other non-forest Coastal areas to be implemented by Sundarban Affairs Department & Fisheries Department;
(d) Rs. 2.51 lakh for beneficiaries residing within the forest fringe areas and forest villages in hill areas of Darjeeling district to be implemented by Forest Department;
(e) Rs. 3 lakh within the forest villages of Jalpaiguri district to be implemented by Forest Department.
The cost of such dwelling units in for new construction in Non-Municipal Semi-Urban areas are as follows:
(i) Rs. 1.67 lakh - for single –storied building on beneficiary’s land;
(ii) Rs. 3.30 lakh – for multi-Storied building on the own land of implementing Government agencies or on Government land.
Construction of housing complexes in cluster approach is being explored for the EWS people in suitable areas dove-tailing with the programme ‘Nija Griha Nija Bhumi’ launched by L&LR Department.
Panchayat and Rural Development Department is implementing the scheme ‘Amar Thikana’ at a unit cost of Rs. 45,000/- for the plain areas and Rs. 48,500/- in hills, difficult areas and coastal areas.
Families with Monthly income of Rs. 6000/- or less will be benefitted under the scheme.