Bhubaneswar, July 14 -- Despite the implementation of flagship housing schemes aimed at providing permanent shelter to the poor, thousands of eligible families across Odisha continue to wait for a pucca house, highlighting persistent gaps in implementation and beneficiary coverage.

While schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and the state's Antyodaya Gruha Yojana are intended to ensure housing for economically weaker sections, several deserving beneficiaries are yet to receive assistance.

The ground reality presents a grim picture. In one instance, a specially-abled person has reportedly been living in a dilapidated cabin for nearly two decades while waiting for a permanent house. Elsewhere, vulnerable families continue ...