Oppn targets govt over ‘PMAY’ neglect

BHUBANESWAR: Opposition political parties are up in arms against the State government for ignoring nine districts during distribution of 8.22 lakh houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G).What is baffling is that the tribal-dominated districts like Balangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Sundargarh have not received a single PMAY-G house while the coastal districts have cornered a lion’s share. The other three districts, which have been ignored, are Bargarh, Boudh and Sambalpur. 

The Centre has allocated 8.17 lakh houses to the State for 2021-22 and given the responsibility to the State for selection of eligible beneficiaries left out from the permanent wait list (PWL) of PMAY-G. This allocation was against the government’s demand for sanction of 14.94 lakh houses which included 7.87 lakh for Fani-affected families and 6.07 lakh PWL left out beneficiaries from 16 non-Fani affected districts.

Fixing the district-wise target, the Panchayati Raj department has sanctioned highest 1,47,494 houses to Mayurbhanj district followed by 97,220 to Puri, 90,231 to Balasore and 84,582 to Keonjhar. Tribal-dominated Kandhamal district has been allotted 374 units, 156 for Gajapati, 876 for Deogarh and 4 for Jharsuguda.

While seeding 2.16 houses with job cards issued under MGNREGS, the department has requested the collectors for mapping of the remaining 6.07 lakh households (beneficiaries) and uploading the same in Awaas+ by June 18. The Centre has sanctioned Rs 3,810 crore under PMAY which includes the State share of Rs 1,524 crore for current fiscal. “It seems the government has allocated maximum number of houses to districts affected by cyclone Yaas and Fani. What I fail to fathom is that how could there be no left out beneficiaries from PWL in 9 districts which have been denied,” wondered BJP State vice-president Bhrugu Baxipatra.

Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi and other western regions are migration-prone districts and incidence of poverty is very high. By not allocating a single PMAY house to these districts demonstrates that 100 per cent saturation has been achieved in rural house programme, he said. “The BJD government’s love and concern for Western Odisha is quite apparent from this list of PMAY-G district wise target allotment,” said Balangir MP Sangeeta Singhdeo.Senior Congress leader Pradeep Majhi said his party condemned the step-motherly treatment of the BJD government to KBK region where poverty is still prevalent. 

Dist-wise allotment

97,220 houses to Puri 
90,231 to Balasore 
84,582 to Keonjhar
374 to Kandhamal 
156 to Gajapati 
876 to Deogarh 
4 to Jharsuguda