Guwahati, March 10 -- Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass on Tuesday said that the state government has completed the construction of 17.20 lakh houses in the last five years under the Union government's flagship Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

He further said that Assam has set a target to make 40 lakh women of the state as Lakhpati Didi by 2029 and to create an additional Rs 40,000 crore rural economy.

"Since 2016, the Union government has sanctioned 29 lakh houses to Assam, and so far we (Panchayat & Rural Development Department) have completed 21.50 lakh houses and handed over these to the beneficiaries in the state. In the last 5 years, we have completed 17.20 lakh houses," Ranjeet Kumar Dass told ANI.

He...