West Bengal’s Labour Department has launched a pilot affordable housing project for economically weaker jute mill workers in North 24 Parganas and Hooghly, with around 8,000 workers reportedly expressing interest in the scheme so far. The initiative is being implemented under the Affordable Housing in Partnership component of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban 2.0 for eligible beneficiaries.
The project targets jute mill workers and their families who continue to live in old and dilapidated labour quarters across the state’s jute belt. State Labour Minister Arjun Singh said many of these settlements lack proper sewerage, suitable housing and toilets, with sanitation facilities also not being cleaned regularly.
“The condition of the jute mill workers has remained poor for a long time. There is neither a proper sewer facility nor do they have any suitable housing, or even toilets. They were not even cleaned for a long period,” Singh said, according to the report.
Under the scheme, jute mill workers with an annual household income of up to Rs 3 lakh may qualify, provided they do not own a pucca house anywhere in India. Eligibility will be assessed and verified according to the guidelines of PMAY-U 2.0. The Labour Department is acting as the facilitating agency and is coordinating with district administrations, urban local bodies, trade unions and mill managements to identify eligible beneficiaries.
Each dwelling unit is expected to have a carpet area of between 30 and 45 square metres. The homes will include at least two rooms, a kitchen and a toilet. The stated design and eligibility conditions place the project within the broader framework of urban housing support for economically weaker households, while focusing on a workforce concentrated around industrial settlements.
In North 24 Parganas, the Bhatpara, Titagarh and Kamarhati municipalities have been directed to identify encumbrance-free land for the project. These municipalities are located in one of the state’s principal jute-manufacturing belts, where residential areas and mill-linked settlements have developed alongside industrial activity.
In Hooghly, special camps will be organised with assistance from the Labour Commissionerate to help workers submit applications. The department will collect the applications, verify the applicants’ eligibility and process the cases under the existing rules of the housing scheme.
The initiative’s implementation will depend on the identification of suitable land, completion of beneficiary verification and coordination among several institutions. The Labour Department, district administrations, municipalities, trade unions and mill managements will each have roles in moving applications from registration to approval and construction.
Singh said the project is intended to provide safe, decent and affordable housing to workers and their families. The department’s immediate next steps are to facilitate applications, verify eligibility and process beneficiaries under PMAY-U 2.0 guidelines, while the concerned municipalities identify land for the proposed homes.
