Tussle between BJD and BJP over PMAY intensifies in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: The face-off between the BJD and BJP over the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) continued on Wednesday with the regional outfit demanding that Odisha needs more than 15 lakh houses to cover all the homeless people of the state.The BJP on the other hand demanded that implementation of the scheme should be stopped by the state government till a genuine list of beneficiaries is published.

Alleging that the Centre has sanctioned only eight lakh houses under the PMAY in the second phase, BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra and party spokesperson Shreemoyee Mishra asked where will the seven lakh homeless people go. Stating that the BJP’s aggressive posturing is only a cover up for the Centre’s decision to stop the rural housing scheme from this year, the BJD leaders said the saffron party is working against the interest of the people.

The BJD leaders said the BJP leaders are shedding crocodile tears over irregularities over allotment of houses under the PMAY. But selection of beneficiaries for PMAY houses is done according to the guidelines issued by the Panchayati Raj Ministry, they said and asked the BJP leaders to put pressure on the Centre to change the guidelines.

The Centre’s guidelines provide new allotment through PalliSabha/ Gram Sabha, they said and added that there is also a provision for filing objections. Stating that Odisha government will take every objection very seriously and inquire into these, they asked the BJP to file objections as per the guidelines or provide list of beneficiaries which they think is genuine.

Condemning the conspiracy hatched by the BJP to deprive poor people from getting houses, the BJD leaders said that the people are aware of this and that is why the BJP was defeated in the Zilla Parishad elections. The BJD was able to win ZP president posts in all the 30 districts of the state, they added.

BJP also lashed out at the BJD for allotment of houses on political party basis and depriving lakhs of genuine beneficiaries. Alleging that the BJD has conspired to allot houses on party line by not following the guidelines of the Centre, BJP state general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said that the party is now telling story of 15 lakh requirement after the state government was exposed.

Meanwhile, the BJP submitted memorandum in every block to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on largescale irregularities in the allotment of houses.The party warned that Assembly will be gheraoed with the help of left out persons if the government fails to bring out a correct list of beneficiaries.