PMAY beneficiaries’ selection: BJP alleges graft, moves guv

Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Tuesday, alleging that the state government is committing irregularities in selecting the beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) (PMAY-G), submitted a memorandum to governor Ganeshi Lal seeking action in the matter.
A BJP delegation led by its general secretary Mohan Majhi met the governor and handed him the letter on Tuesday. The BJP in the memorandum mentioned that 9.59 lakh houses have been sanctioned for the state in the extended phase of the scheme recently.
However, a maximum number of houses in this phase got allotted to ineligible beneficiaries, which deprived the ones from getting a house which is rightfully theirs, said the BJP, alleging that favouritism and rampant corruption marred the scheme in Odisha.
“According to reports received from various districts, many eligible beneficiaries, who have been waiting for two years to get their rightful houses, did not get the same as the state government has ruthlessly rejected their applications,” Majhi said.
He said a comprehensive process has been developed by the ministry of rural development to identify the eligible beneficiaries in a transparent and efficient manner. The ministry has included steps like verification of beneficiaries in gram sabha, geo-tagging, Aadhaar linkage and more.
He said the state government, however, is manipulating the process and allotting the houses to the beneficiaries they prefer. “There is a complaint mechanism in the scheme, but it is a risk since the name of the complainants along with details have to be made public,” he said.