BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Monday alleged large-scale irregularities in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) at Pithagala panchayat under Harichandanpur block in Keonjhar district.
A fact-finding team of the BJP that visited the district told mediapersons about large-scale irregularities in utilisation of PMAY fund.
The team led by State BJP spokesperson Satyabrata Panda said ruling BJD leaders with the help of block officials have embezzled funds of the beneficiaries who mostly belong to particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG).
Submitting a report on the PMAY irregularities in the tribal-dominated block, the team said housing assistance provided to around 500 PVTG beneficiaries has been misappropriated by local BJD leaders.
Taking the advantage of their illiteracy, these middlemen have drawn the beneficiary money from ATM and gobbled up the money under some pretext.
In some cases, half constructed houses are geo-tagged and shown as completed just to draw the final instalment.
“We went to one Mamata Juanga’s house in Kharba village and found her residing in a kutcha house with her one-year-old son. Even though Rs 1 lakh was sanctioned to her and the amount was sent to her account, she is yet to receive a single penny,” said former MLA Dhananjay Sidhu.
Such financial irregularities under the PMAY scheme galore in Ghasipura, Ghatagaon, Sadar and Jhumpura blocks of the district.
Demanding a through probe into the irregularities, the BJP leaders said they will take up the issue to the streets if the Government fails to take action against corrupt officials and political leaders involved.