Bhograi/Khaira: Massive irregularities in the implementation of rural housing scheme PMAY have been alleged in Bhograi block of Balasore district. The implementation of the project is far from its objectives as rich people are getting housing units while the poor failed to get the benefits, reports said.
Precisely speaking, people eligible for the housing units under the scheme have been left out of it.
This has enraged people of Nimatpur panchayat and they have warned of an agitation over the irregularities.
They alleged that many rich people in the village have managed to grab housing units under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) with help of some people’s representatives and block officials.
They stated that in 2021, the panchayat had sent a list to the block administration with the names of 227 beneficiaries. While the block administration displayed a list of 97 people, locals alleged that 20 people included in the list of beneficiaries were in fact not eligible to get PMAY houses.
This happened even as many poor people are living in broken thatched houses in the panchayat. In addition, the last cyclone that hit the state had flattened many houses.
Sarpanch Dharitri Rana, former sarpanch Bhagwan Rana and some social activists alleged that the block officials are preparing faulty lists of beneficiaries on the basis of their party lines, while genuine beneficiaries have been ignored.
They demanded an investigation into such irregularities and houses for the genuine beneficiaries. Many block-level officials are providing concrete houses to ineligibles for their vested interest, they alleged.
The villagers pointed out that massive irregularities in the implementation of rural housing schemes have been committed at both the panchayat and block levels. Some local leaders are encouraging the anomalies to appease their supporters, they alleged.
In Khaira, scores of poor and landless people in the SC and ST categories have been deprived of the benefits of the housing scheme as they have not been provided land pattas.
Over a hundred people from five villages in Gadapokhari panchayat have drawn attention of the Khaira tehsildar towards the issue. Tehsildar Mahendra Prasad Behera assured the people that necessary steps will be taken in this direction.
These people have been staying on forest land for over 30 years at Gadapokhari. Guapal, Gagua, Sharat and Bhudeishula. Though their names were included under IAY scheme in 2018-19, lack of land pattas has been a hurdle in making housing units available to them.
PNN