Bihar to Build 11.18 Lakh PMAY-G Houses, ₹13,427 Crore Sanctioned

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary participated in a ‘Grih Pravesh’ programme on Thursday (August 20, 2026), marking the completion of 2.35 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) in the 2026-27 financial year. The event included the handing over of house keys to beneficiaries and sanction letters to newly selected families.

Announcing a housing package for Bihar, Mr. Chouhan said that 11,18,937 pucca houses have been approved for poor families in the state. An allocation of ₹13,427 crore has been made for this purpose, and the sanction letter was handed over to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

PMAY-G is a flagship scheme of the Government of India launched in 2016 with the goal of providing pucca houses with basic amenities to all eligible rural households. It is a successor to the Indira Awas Yojana and is implemented with funding shared between the Centre and states.

Mr. Chouhan described the initiative as more than just construction. “A pucca house is not a structure of brick and cement. It is a symbol of dignity and confidence for an entire family,” he said. He emphasised that the scheme provides security and a better quality of life for poor families.

Without naming any specific party in this context, the Union Minister criticised previous governments for not ensuring that the full amount allocated for the poor reached them. He said that the present system ensures that every rupee reaches its intended destination.

Mr. Chouhan also spoke on the national song ‘Vande Mataram’, criticising the Congress party. He said that singing only a portion of the song is an insult to the sentiments of the country and to the national song. He asserted that Vande Mataram is not an issue belonging to any particular political party but a matter of respect for Bharat Mata. The song had inspired India's freedom movement, and singing it in its entirety is a duty of every Indian, he added. Mr. Chouhan accused some parties of indulging in vote-bank politics and attempting to distort symbols associated with India's unity, culture and national identity for political gains.

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said that this initiative to provide permanent housing to the state's poor families is set to propel Bihar forward. He provided a comparison with earlier schemes: between 1986 and 2014, only 30 lakh permanent houses were constructed for poor families in Bihar under the Indira Awas Yojana. In contrast, “under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an allocation has been made to build 50 lakh permanent houses for poor families in Bihar between 2014 and 2026,” Mr. Choudhary said.

The Bihar government contributes 40% of the funds for the permanent houses built under PMAY-G, the Chief Minister added.

In a separate development on Wednesday (August 19, 2026), the Bihar Cabinet amended the Bihar Social Media and Other Online Media Rules, 2026. Under the amended rules, social media creators producing content on Bihar government schemes and programmes can earn up to ₹1 lakh per video.