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Odisha BJP alleges scam in rural housing scheme, CM urges PM to allocate more houses
BJP’s state president Sameer Mohanty alleged that pucca houses were allotted to the ineligible beneficiaries in Tangi of Khurdha district.
Alleging gross irregularities in the allotment of pucca houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas (Grameen) Yojana, the Odisha unit of BJP on Monday announced state-wide protests from July 7-9, BJP’s state president Sameer Mohanty said.
“Beneficiaries in 19 districts are being given ₹1.30 lakh per house while in rest of the 11 districts, ₹1.20 lakh is being given. We estimate corruption to the tune of ₹1,000 crore in the housing scheme in the state,” said Mohanty, alleging that the scam could be much bigger.
Mohanty alleged that pucca houses were allotted to the ineligible beneficiaries in Tangi of Khurdha district. Similarly, funds under the scheme have been granted to the people in Niali block for the construction of a cowshed, he alleged.
“Most of the houses are constructed with sub-standard materials with no windows, doors and toilets. Many houses are yet to get the floor and other works, he said. As many as nine districts have received no work order for the pucca houses, while Jharsuguda district got only four houses,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday urged PM Modi to include about 6 lakh eligible households of Odisha under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) for 16 districts. While thanking Modi for allotting 8.17 lakh PMAY (G) houses in favour of Odisha for families affected by cyclone Fani, Patnaik said Odisha has identified around 6 lakh additional eligible households in 16 districts that were not affected by cyclone Fani.
These are predominantly tribal-dominated districts and cover all the Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput (KBK) areas, he wrote.
