BHUBANESWAR: As the Opposition BJP is at loggerheads with BJD over the use of Biju Pucca Ghar logo on houses constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the state government on Wednesday said ‘Biju’ logo will now be a permanent fixture.
“There is nothing wrong to use ‘Biju’ logo on houses constructed under PMAY as the state’s share in the rural housing scheme comes around 51 per cent and 56 per cent taking into account the incentives provided to beneficiaries on timely completion,” Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Pratap Jena told the Assembly.
Replying to a debate on the admissibility of an adjournment notice by BJP questioning the ethics of appropriating a Central scheme by the State Government, Jena said the State has been incentivising beneficiaries for timely completion of their houses.
Apart from contributing its share of 40 per cent in PMAY (Gramin), the State Government has so far provided Rs 628.48 crore incentives to 3,69,515 beneficiaries.
Allottees who completed their houses within four months of the release of first instalment are given an incentive of Rs 20,000 each while those who build houses within six months are paid Rs 10,000 each.
“If the incentive amount is taken into consideration, the state’s share in the housing scheme will be 51 per cent (if the incentive is Rs 10,000) and 56 per cent (Rs 20,000 incentive),” Jena said.
The state is making a single budgetary provision for PMAY(G) and Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana (BPGY) since 2017-18 and it has been decided, in principle, to use both PMAY(G) and BPGY logo on the houses constructed under the Centrally-sponsored rural housing scheme.
On Tuesday, Leader of Opposition Pradipta Naik had, in the Assembly, objected to the recent directive of State Government to district Collectors and District Rural Development Agencies for using Biju Patnaik logo and said maximum irregularities in selection of beneficiaries under PMAY are reported from coastal districts. He accused BJD MLAs and MPs of promoting corruption.
Initiating the debate, BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi said BJD got electoral benefit in the last general election by misleading the voters that over 10 lakh houses were constructed under BPGY.
Lambasting the government for being unable to finalise the list of beneficiaries even after a survey conducted in November last year, Majhi asked the Minister to provide detailed data on the houses constructed under different schemes and funds utilised so far.
Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim asked the BJP legislators to take up the matter with the Centre to revert to the sharing pattern of 75:25 as was done under India Awas Yojana to reduce the burden on the State.