Bhadrak/Bhandaripokhari: Amid allegation of irregularities in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the BJP has asserted that geotagging of housing units is being done in a fraudulent manner through which a scam has been committed in Bhandaripokhari block of Bhadrak district.
Addressing a press meet at the party office, BJP’s district unit president Badrinarayan Dhal said the way geotagging is being done should be scrapped and a judicial probe be ordered into it.
The block administration has set a target to build 2,563 PMAY housing units in the block in the current year. However, the administration has returned 504 units on the grounds that eligible beneficiaries were not available.
Training its gun at the state government, the BJP said the state government has hijacked the Centre-sponsored housing scheme by branding it as Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana to give its publicity.
“The job of geotagging of housing has been assigned to Biju Yuva Vahini and BJD-backed sarpanchs. Geotagging link has been given to Biju Yuva Vahini,” the BJP workers added.
While genuine beneficiaries are deprived of housing units, families supporting BJD are provided more than one housing unit, they added.
The BJP later staged a protest at the block office.
On the other hand, villagers of Bandhagan under Sadar block alleged irregularities in PMAY and took up the issue with Sub-collector Shyambhakt Mishra.
“On the basis of political discrimination, housing units are being distributed while poor, daily wagers have been left out of geotagging. Surprisingly, people with buildings and families having service holders are included as beneficiaries,” the villagers alleged.
They also alleged people of a certain party are demanding bribe for allotment of housing units.