Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has failed to construct required number of houses for poor under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Grameen).

In the past two years, Odisha has constructed only 32 per cent of the seven lakhs houses, a target given by the Centre to the state under the scheme.

It came to light when minister of rural development Ram Kripal Yadav on Thursday gave details of construction of houses in the states, including Odisha, in the Lok Sabha. Odisha has also failed miserably in spending the money allotted under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Under the scheme, the beneficiaries from the socio-economic and caste census (SECC), 2011, are eligible to get the houses. According to the yojana, a beneficiary is eligible to get an assistance of Rs 1.2 lakh in the plain areas and Rs 1.3 lakh in the hilly areas.

Besides, an additional Rs 12,000 for toilet construction is also given. The minimum unit (house) size is 25sqm, including a dedicated area for hygienic cooking.

In order to expedite the construction of houses, a high-level meeting had been held under the chairmanship of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik in January. He had directed the officials to expedite the construction of houses. The Odisha government has also set a target of constructing 20 lakh houses by December 2018.

Panchayati raj minister Pradeep Maharathy said: "We are reviewing at every level to expedite the construction of houses for the rural masses. A number of houses will come up by December 2018."

For the past two years, a war of words has been going on between the Odisha government and the Centre over implementation of various central government projects, including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.