Patna: Bihar has won two national awards for its work under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0. The state was named the best performer for grounding the highest number of houses compared with the number sanctioned under the scheme.The awards were presented by Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs Tokhan Sahu at an event held in New Delhi on the occasion of World Habitat Day on Monday.Bihar urban development and housing minister Nitish Mishra said the awards recognised the state’s efforts to speed up house construction and ensure that eligible beneficiaries received the benefits of PMAY-U 2.0.“The state received the awards in two categories. In the first, Bihar was recognised as the best-performing state for achieving the highest number of houses grounded in proportion to the houses sanctioned under PMAY-U 2.0,” the minister said.In the second category, Bihar received a special recognition award among large states for achieving the highest percentage of houses sanctioned against the target fixed under PMAY-U 2.0.“The recognition reflected the state’s progress in expanding housing access in urban areas and its efforts to provide pucca houses to eligible families,” Mishra said and congratulated officials and the department’s team for the achievement.The awards were received on behalf of the state urban development and housing department by secretary Sandeep Kumar R Pudkalkatti, special secretary-cum-mission director Shahid Parvez and project officer-cum-additional director Umakant Pandey.
