BJP To Hold 3-Day Demo Over ‘Rs 1000 Crore PMAY-G Scam’ In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The BJP would launch a three-day statewide demonstration from July 7 over Rs 1000 crore alleged scam in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) in Odisha.

At a press briefing here, BJP state president Samir Mohanty said the probe report by a central agency has revealed massive irregularities in the implementation of the central scheme in nine blocks of five districts in the state.

The Centre had earlier confirmed gross irregularities in the selection of beneficiaries, defalcation of funds and other lapses in the flagship rural housing scheme. The probe team observed several cases of irregularities – the absence of PMAY-G logo on houses, poor quality construction and the houses shown completed on AwaasSoft were also found incomplete during an inspection.

The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) had sought recovery of funds released to ineligible beneficiaries and criminal proceedings against officials responsible for committing fraud and swindling government funds.

Citing the probe report, Mohanty said that a PMAY house has been allotted to the father of an ineligible beneficiary in Tangi block of Khurda district while financial assistance under the scheme has been provided for the construction of a cowshed in Niali block in Cuttack district.

“Apart from this, the houses allotted under PMAY have been branded with a large-sized photo of Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana of the state government,” he added.

Claiming that the state government has handed Rs 1.20 lakh each to 98,562 beneficiaries through a manual override, he said that the quality of construction of most of the houses is poor. Some houses have no windows and toilets while some are half-constructed with no roof, he said.

Mohanty further said that no allotments have been made in nine aspirational districts of Bargarh, Balangir, Boudh, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Sambalpur and Sundargarh while only four houses have been built in Jharsuguda district.