Biju Logo On PMAY Houses To Stay, Odisha Govt’s Blunt Reply To ‘Hijacking Central Schemes’ Allegation

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana (BPGY) logo on house constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) has become an eyesore for the opposition BJP, which has been accusing the Odisha government of hijacking central schemes and re-branding them as its own.

However, the ruling BJD is determined to make the logo a ‘permanent fixture’.

Defending its stand on the issue, Panchayati Raj And Drinking Water Minister Pratap Jena told the Assembly that there was nothing wrong in using the tiles flaunting state scheme since Odisha’s share in the rural housing scheme mounted to around 51 per cent and 56 per cent when the incentives provided to beneficiaries on timely completion were taken into account.

The central scheme uses 40 per cent funds from the state government. However, allottees who complete the house within four months of the release of the first installment are provided an incentive of Rs 20,000. It is Rs 10,000 for those who build houses in six months.

“The state government has so far provided Rs 628.48 crore incentives to 3,69,515 beneficiaries,” the minister said.

Both PMAY and BPGY logos would be put on the houses provided to people under the rural housing schemes, Jena added in his reply to an Adjournment Motion titled ‘Why the Government is naming PMSY houses as BPGY’ brought by BJP members on Wednesday.

Besides, the state government has been making single budgetary provision for coverage of PMAY (Gramin) and Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana since 2017-18.

The recent trigger to this controversy was a government order issued by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Jajpur, to use promotional tiles of Biju schemes on the PMAY houses.

While Leader of Opposition Pradipta Naik vehemently criticised the government on the issue, the saffron party members soon found themselves on the back foot when BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra launched a counter attack, stating that central schemes like PMAY had major support from the Centre during the UPA government. He warned the opposition against such intolerance considering that the fact that state now has to contribute a good share in such schemes.

The PMAY was launched in June 2015 for building affordable pucca houses with water facility, sanitation and electricity supply round-the-clock. The state rural housing scheme was, however, launched nine months prior to PMAY in September 2014.