“No land in Patna: if you want to live in Sonepur, we’ll start building right away!”: Urban Development and Housing Department

Accompanying the urban poor in their struggle to survive with dignity is no cakewalk.

Aashray Abhiyan has over the past decade, consistently engaged with the government of Bihar on the issue of alternative housing for the poor who are being evicted from lands that they have occupied for generations, under the existing housing policy for the urban poor.

The Government of Bihar has time and again trumpeted that the slum dwellers would be accommodated under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) or as it is known, the multi-storey housing scheme.

Members of Aashray Abhiyan, including senior team leader   Dilip Patel and Bittu Kumar, requested a meeting with the  Principal Secretary, Urban Development and Housing Department, Bihar, Patna, in order to find out about the progress on the issue.

The meeting was scheduled for four pm. The Secretary was not available; he was in a meeting. After a three hour wait, the slum representatives and the Aashray Abhiyan team were able to spend a few minutes with the Principal Secretary.

Here is a report from Dilip Patel  and Bittu Kumar:

Subject: Regarding settling the slum dwellers of Adalat Ghat (Babu Tola) under Patna Municipal Corporation Ward No. 39 under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) or Multi-Story Housing Scheme.

Members of Aashray Abhiyan, including Brother Dilip Patel, Bittu Kumar, and many others from Adalat Ghat (Babu Tola) slum, such as Kewal Paswan, Savita Devi, Madan Mandal, waiting in the waiting room for a meeting with the Principal Secretary, Urban Development and Housing Department.

Today, on February 16, 2026, under the leadership of Aashray Abhiyan member Dilip Kumar alias Bhai  Dilip Patel, the slum dwellers of Adalat Ghat (Babu Tola) met with Vinay Kumar, Secretary of the Urban Development and Housing Department, at his chamber in Vikas Bhawan, New Secretariat.

They held a discussion and submitted a memorandum demanding the provision of house construction under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) or resettlement under the Multi-Story Housing Scheme as part of the Saat Nischay Part-02 for the slum dwellers of Patna Municipal Corporation Ward No. 39, Adalat Ghat (Babu Tola).

In response, Shri Vinay Kumar, the Secretary, stated that they are currently searching for land to settle urban poor, and it will take time.

We are looking for available land slightly away from the Patna urban area. It is difficult to locate suitable land.

If you people want to settle in Sonepur across the River Ganga, we can initiate the process for settlement right away.

The delegation included Aashray Abhiyan activist Bittu Kumar, Adalat Ghat slum dwellers Kewal Paswan, Savita Devi, Kewal Paswan, Madan Mandal, Seema Devi, and others who were present.