Odisha’s isolated Bonda Ghati residents cheer as construction of 1,148 pucca homes begins under PM-Janman

The long-pending demand for permanent housing in the remote Bonda Ghati of Malkangiri district has moved into implementation, with 1,148 households receiving financial approval for the construction of pucca homes under the Union government’s PM-Janman scheme.

According to reports, each eligible Bonda family has been sanctioned Rs 2 lakh, marking one of the largest housing allocations for the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in recent years.

The sanctioned houses cover two panchayats, Andrahal and Madulipada, in the first phase. The construction has begun across multiple hamlets, with families contributing labour to accelerate work before the next monsoon.

Officials said the sanction aims to replace decades of fragile tile and thatched-roof structures that left households exposed to rain, floods and wind damage during every cyclone season.

From Thatched Roofs To Permanent Structures

For many Bonda families, the funds signal an end to years of weather-related hardship. Beneficiaries said their earlier houses leaked heavily during the monsoon, often forcing families to remain awake through the night.

A woman resident described earlier conditions before shifting to pucca construction, saying, “We are grateful to the PM Yojana (PM-Janman). We are now able to build our own pucca homes. Earlier, we lived in thatched-roof houses. During the monsoon, rainwater used to drip from the ceiling and accumulate below. Now, we are safe. We thank the government for this.”

Another local youth said the revised financial support has made house construction feasible for the first time in years.

“Earlier, we Bonda natives lived in thatched-roof houses. Life became very difficult for us every time it rained. Water used to leak from all over. Now, the government is assisting us in building our homes with a sum of Rs 2 lakh.”

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Previous Schemes Fell Short

Sources reported that Bonda households were earlier included under state housing schemes, but the sanctioned amounts were insufficient to complete construction in hilltop settlements. 

Transporting materials to the upper ridges doubled prices, forcing many families to remain in their damaged structures for years. Officials said the enhanced Rs 2-lakh support under PM-Janman addresses the financial gap that prevented completion under older schemes.

District Administration Monitoring Progress

The district administration has launched awareness and support campaigns to ensure all sanctioned families begin construction on schedule. Teams are conducting field visits to verify progress, provide technical inputs and guide residents on material procurement.

Zila Parishad Executive Officer Naresh Chandra Sabar said the administration expects steady progress across the region.

“The progress is good, and we expect to cover most of the area in the next three months. The government can help accelerate this by incentivising further in hardcore tribal regions where there is a shortage of proper construction materials.”

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Officials said most of the 1,148 approved houses are expected to reach completion stages within the next quarter, depending on material availability and weather conditions.