Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Bengal govt disburses Rs 6,000 crore to rural housing beneficiaries
Many families in West Bengal, India, needed help to build their houses.
The government promised each family Rs 1,20,000, paid in two parts.
The first part, Rs 60,000, was given to families on December 25.
But then they had to wait for about eight months for the second part.
On Thursday, the government finally sent the second part of Rs 60,000 to more than 10,20,000 families.
In total, that was more than Rs 6,000 crore of money sent directly to their bank accounts.
The Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, started the event and gave the scheme a new name, Paschim Banga Awas.
The government checked the list of families and found about 12,500 people who were not really eligible.
It has begun getting the money back from those people and says no genuine family will be left out.
Families who still need to be checked will get their money later, once the verification is done.
The Bengal government transferred over Rs 6,000 crore directly into the bank accounts of 10,20,389 rural housing beneficiaries on Thursday, with Rs 60,000 credited to each via Direct Benefit Transfer.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari formally launched the disbursal programme.
Beneficiaries had received the first instalment of Rs 60,000 on December 25 under the erstwhile Banglar Bari scheme but had not received the remaining assistance for nearly eight months, leaving many houses incomplete.
Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh said around 12 lakh beneficiaries had already received the full Rs 1.20 lakh assistance, while 10.20 lakh of the remaining 18 lakh were now sanctioned the second instalment.
Scrutiny identified around 12,500 ineligible recipients, with money already recovered from about 1,000 beneficiaries, and the scheme was renamed Paschim Banga Awas.
- Who
- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Bengal Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh, and more than 10.20 lakh rural housing beneficiaries across West Bengal
- What
- Disbursal of over Rs 6,000 crore, with a second instalment of Rs 60,000 each credited to 10,20,389 rural housing beneficiaries under the housing scheme renamed Paschim Banga Awas
- When
- On Thursday, nearly eight months after the first instalment was paid on December 25; the Union government extended the fresh beneficiary verification deadline to August 15
- Where
- West Bengal, India
- Why
- To release the long-pending second instalment of housing assistance so beneficiaries can complete construction of their houses, while removing ineligible recipients from the list
- Amount disbursed
- Over Rs 6,000 crore
- Beneficiaries paid
- 10,20,389 (more than 10.20 lakh)
- Per-beneficiary instalment
- Rs 60,000 via Direct Benefit Transfer
- First instalment
- Rs 60,000 on December 25 under the erstwhile Banglar Bari scheme
- Full assistance per beneficiary
- Rs 1.20 lakh
- Scheme name
- Renamed Paschim Banga Awas (formerly Banglar Bari)
- Ineligible recipients
- Around 12,500 identified; recovery underway
- Verification deadline
- August 15 (extended by the Union government)