KOLKATA: The West Bengal government has decided to build 8.3 lakh new houses for the poor across rural Bengal in this ongoing fiscal. About 5.86 lakh houses were handed out to the people under the scheme of Aamar Bari, a project partially funded by the Centre, in the last fiscal.
What has not missed the notice of political observers is that the decision of constructing more houses is driven by a political purpose as voters in rural Bengal voted massively for the BJP.
Sources at the state secretariat said each house will be constructed on 25 sqm plot with a kitchen and a toilet.
In the Junglemahal area, each beneficiary will be granted Rs 1.3 lakh while the grant will be Rs 1.2 lakh in other parts. The Centre will provide 60 per cent of the project cost and the state will bear the rest.
In the ongoing protests over ‘cut money’, many people have accused Trinamool leaders of collecting commissions ranging from
Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 from beneficiaries who got financial assistance for constructing houses.
“We have asked district planning committees, Zilla Parishad and district magistrates to maintain transparency and keep a close watch on local TM leaders,” said a senior official.