MP govt to provide plots of land free to poor families: CM Shivraj

MP govt said that it will provide plots of land free of cost to families which do not own a house

The Madhya Pradesh government announced on Tuesday that it will provide plots of land free of cost to the families which do not own a house. The announcement by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at a cabinet meeting came when Assembly elections are only a year away in the BJP-ruled state. The scheme, named the Mukhyamantri Bhu Adhikar Yojna, will be introduced in Tikamgarh district from Wednesday and later in other parts of the state, he was quoted as saying in an official release. When I visited Tikamgarh during the election campaign in Prithvipur Assembly seat, some people stopped me and said they do not have a house to live in," Chouhan said. When he asked where they were currently living, they said they lived in their ancestral homes, but with the size of the family growing, there was no room for all the members and they took turns to sleep inside, the CM said. This prompted him to come up with the scheme, he said.

Initially 10,500 families in Tikamgarh district will be given plots of land worth a total of Rs 120 crore. The plots will be allotted in the name of both husband and wife, and no premium will be charged, Chouhan said. It is a unique scheme in the country and will go a long way to provide relief, especially in rural areas, he said. "Tomorrow (when the scheme will be launched) will be etched in golden letters in history," the chief minister added. Once a family gets a plot of land, it will get the benefit of schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY), he said.

The average size of plot under the scheme will be around 600 sq ft but it will vary a bit depending upon the availability of land, Chouhan said.