Keonjhar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued summons to the District Collector, Keonjhar directing him to personally appear before it January 19, 2024 over delay in submission of report regarding allotment of houses under Central and state schemes to members of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities in Hatadihi block in the district.
This was stated here by human rights activist and senior advocate of Supreme Court Radhakanta Tripathy to mediapersons, Saturday. The commission pulled up the lackadaisical attitude of the Collector in submission of replies and his own contradictions in verbal submissions and written replies.
More than 200 poor families from the SC and ST communities in Mangarajpur village under Sadanga panchayat in Hatadihi block of the district are not only deprived of houses but also lack basic amenities and bare necessities of life.
Considering the gravity of the issue, the commission held a virtual hearing August 4, 2023 with respect to 40 cases relating to alleged discrimination against potential beneficiaries of PM-Awas Yojna in Odisha.
During the hearing, Anu Garg, Development Commissionercum-Additional Chief Secretary, Sushil Kumar Lohani, Principal Secretary, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water department and Ashish Thakare, District Collector, Keonjhar, were present.
During the hearing, the NHRC observed that the verbal submissions were different from the reports that their office had submitted to the commission. During the hearing, the District Collector verbally submitted that case no-464/18/7/2023, was related to 140 households, out of which 45 beneficiaries had been granted the benefit of PMAY and another 45 in rural housing waiting list (RHWL).
Tripathy countered him stating the latches in the verbal and written submission by the Collector. The NHRC directed the District Collector to submit a detailed report mentioning the details of the beneficiaries and the benefit granted to them, within four weeks for perusal of the commission.
Later, in a hearing August 18 this year, the NHRC had directed the Collector for submission of a report clarifying the contradiction in the written reports and verbal submission within four weeks. However, no report had been received from the authority.
Later, the NHRC issued summons exercising its coercive power under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. The NHRC also marked a copy of the order to the Chief Secretary of the state for information. When contacted, the Collector said that he has already submitted all the information. The commission required more information that we will submit soon, he added.
PNN
