Alongside rural development, the West Bengal government is placing equal emphasis on ensuring secure housing for marginalized communities in urban areas. Under the ‘Banglar Bari’ (Bengal’s Home) scheme, the state has set a target to provide homes to an additional 2.1 lakh urban families over the next five years.
According to sources, a significant portion of the funding for constructing these houses is contributed by the state government, which offers the highest contribution among Indian states. For each house, the state allocates ₹1.93 lakh, while the central government contributes only ₹1.5 lakh. Despite the state’s substantial financial commitment, nearly ₹1,700 crore in dues from the central government for this housing sector remains unreleased.
During the budget session in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, Minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Firhad Hakim stated that the government has already taken necessary steps to provide proper housing for economically weaker sections in urban regions, including the Uttoron beneficiaries. These efforts include rehabilitation for Uttoron residents, credit-linked subsidies, and the construction of affordable housing for financially weaker groups. These initiatives not only offer better living conditions but also aim to uplift social dignity.
So far, more than 3.15 lakh houses have been built under the Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC) model. Additionally, the state aims to construct another 2 lakh homes in the next five years.
Under this project, four-story buildings have also been constructed for Uttoron residents, with 16 families accommodated per building. Each apartment is considered a separate housing unit. In Kolkata alone, 3,542 units have already been completed and handed over. The state now targets to construct and transfer 10,000 more such units over the next five years. Notably, the government is also considering prioritizing sanitation workers for these housing units.
Furthermore, due to non-payment from the central government, West Bengal has already provided the first installment of housing funds to 12 lakh beneficiaries under the Banglar Bari (Rural) scheme using state resources.
