HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Aug 19: Minister for Panchayat & Rural Development, Public Health Engineering, Food & Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, Ranjeet Kumar Dass visited the Palonghat block in Cachar on the second day of his five-day tour of the Barak Valley on Sunday.
During a meeting with Jivika Sakhi and self-help groups in Palonghat, part of the Dholai constituency, minister Dass highlighted the state’s progress under the PMAY scheme, noting that out of the 20 lakh houses sanctioned for Assam, 19 lakh have been successfully completed, while the construction of the remaining 1 lakh houses is currently underway. He emphasised that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the PMAY initiative has set a new target to provide homes to three crore families across the nation, with Assam set to receive an additional 7 lakh houses under this expanded scheme.
In addition to the PMAY, minister Dass announced the upcoming launch of the Chief Minister Awas Yojana, a state-led initiative aimed at further empowering the citizens of Assam by providing additional housing support. He also underscored India’s rising global stature, noting that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India is now the third most powerful nation worldwide. Minister Dass expressed that the government’s focus extends beyond infrastructure, with chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spearheading initiatives aimed at transforming women in Assam into millionaires, thereby driving economic empowerment in the state.
The event also saw the participation of MP Parimal Suklabaidya, who commended the minister for his dedicated efforts in advancing the development of the Palonghat block area. He noted that this marked the first visit by the Rural Development minister to the Palonghat development block since its establishment, praising the significant progress made in recent years.
During the gathering, minister Dass inspected the infrastructure of the Palonghat block and interacted with members of various self-help groups, discussing their ongoing projects and challenges. The meeting was also attended by CEO of Cachar Zilla Parishad, Pranab Kumar Bora; BDO of Palonghat, Ramen Dutta; district vice president of BJP, Amitabh Rai; and East-Dhalai Zilla Parishad members Swapan Das and Shashank Pal, among others.
It should be mentioned that the event underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to rural development and the upliftment of women through self-help groups, marking a significant milestone in Assam’s progress under the PMAY scheme.