Kumar Bahukhandi
Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu presents the national award to Chhattisgarh at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on Monday, October 5, 2026, in recognition of the State’s Best Practice under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). Principal Secretary, Urban Administration and Development, Sonmoni Bora, and SUDA CEO-cum-State Mission Director, PMAY-U, Sumit Agrawal, received the honour on behalf of the State. Photo: channel24india.com via CMO .
State honoured at Vigyan Bhawan for EWS-LIG land reservation and affordable housing practices; 25,413 homes secured land without government expenditure
Key Highlights
- Chhattisgarh receives national recognition under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
- Award presented on World Habitat Day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
- Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu presents the honour.
- Principal Secretary Sonmoni Bora and SUDA CEO Sumit Agrawal receive the award on behalf of Chhattisgarh.
- Land for 25,413 EWS-LIG houses made available without government expenditure.
- Initiative covers 17,790 houses under PMAY-U 1.0 and 7,623 under PMAY-U 2.0.
- CM Vishnu Deo Sai says a permanent home represents security, dignity and a better future for a family.
Raipur: Chhattisgarh’s efforts to make affordable housing accessible to economically weaker sections (EWS) and low-income groups (LIG) have received national recognition, with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs honouring the State’s approach as a Best Practice under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
The award recognises Chhattisgarh’s system of reserving land for EWS-LIG families in private residential colonies and using the Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) model to expand access to affordable homes.
The honour was presented on World Habitat Day at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday, October 5. Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu presented the award, which was received on behalf of the State by Principal Secretary, Urban Administration and Development, Sonmoni Bora, and SUDA Chief Executive Officer-cum-State Mission Director, PMAY-U, Sumit Agrawal.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai described the national recognition as a matter of pride for Chhattisgarh and congratulated the Urban Administration and Development Department, SUDA and urban local bodies.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve of ‘Housing for All’ is being taken forward in Chhattisgarh with complete commitment. A permanent home is not merely four walls and a roof; it is the foundation of a family’s security, dignity and a better future,” Sai said.
The Chief Minister said the State’s objective was to ensure that no eligible family remained without a permanent home and that families in need received affordable housing with essential civic amenities.
One of the most significant aspects of the Chhattisgarh model is its attempt to address one of urban affordable housing’s biggest constraints — the availability of land.
By effectively implementing provisions for reserving land for EWS and LIG families in private colonies, the State has made land available for 25,413 houses without expenditure from the government exchequer. This includes 17,790 houses under PMAY-U 1.0 and another 7,623 under PMAY-U 2.0.
The model also seeks to prevent affordable housing from being pushed exclusively to the outskirts of cities. By integrating EWS-LIG housing into planned colonies and developed urban areas, beneficiary families can gain better access to roads, electricity, drinking water, educational institutions and other civic facilities.
Principal Secretary Sonmoni Bora said the recognition reflected an approach extending from securing land to ensuring the effective implementation of affordable housing projects.
“Our effort has been to build an effective system covering the entire process — from making land available for EWS and LIG families to project approval, construction quality, monitoring and timely completion. National recognition of this approach encourages us to strengthen the model further and ensure that affordable housing reaches eligible urban families with essential civic facilities,” Bora said.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Sai and the guidance of Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Administration and Development Minister Arun Sao, the department has focused on regular monitoring of project approvals, construction progress, quality and timely completion.
Sao said the recognition demonstrated that Chhattisgarh had moved beyond merely formulating housing schemes and had developed a working mechanism extending from land availability to the construction of affordable homes.
“Chhattisgarh has not limited itself to planning housing for the urban poor. We have developed an effective arrangement from making land available to delivering affordable houses. National recognition of the EWS-LIG land reservation and AHP model is an acknowledgement of that work,” Sao said.
The State Government believes the approach can simultaneously address housing shortages and promote greater social inclusion by enabling economically weaker families to become part of planned urban development rather than remaining geographically separated from essential services.
With more than 25,000 homes linked to land secured through the initiative, the national recognition places Chhattisgarh’s housing strategy among noteworthy practices in implementing the broader Housing for All objective.
