New Delhi, Sep 15 - The government has set an ambitious target to construct as many as 12 million houses for rural poor during the next five years -- nearly double those built between 2005 and 2009, Rural Development Minister C.P. Joshi said Tuesday.

Under the first phase of the Prime Minister's Bharat Nirman programme, 6 million houses were to be constructed from 2005-06 to 2008-09 but the target was surpassed and over 7.1 million dwellings were built.

'It has now been proposed to double the target to construct 12 million houses during the next five-year period of phase two of Bharat Nirman starting from the current financial year,' Joshi told reporters here.

He was briefing the media on the performance of his ministry in the last quarter and the future plans.