Bhubaneswar: Intensifying its attack on the state government over Biju Pucca Ghar Yojna (BPGY), the state unit of BJP decided to stage a protest before Raj Bhawan here Thursday. The party had carried out demonstrations in all blocks and urban local bodies earlier.
Speaking to the media here Wednesday, state BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan alleged that state government has hijacked the Central rural housing scheme. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced to ensure housing for all by 2020 and accordingly, houses are being constructed in both rural and urban areas of the state.
Though over 16 lakh houses have been constructed under Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana (PMAY), the state government undemocratically changed the name of the scheme to ‘Mo Aawas’, he alleged.
Violating the guidelines, the BJD government has first changed the name of PMAY to BPGY and the government is using the chief minister’s picture and BPGY logo in the work orders and houses constructed under the central scheme, the BJP leader further alleged.
The government, he said, has not mentioned the name of PMAY in the ongoing survey to identify beneficiaries for rural housing scheme. After completion of the survey, the government should geo-tag the houses. However, geo- tagging was done only for those beneficiaries who belong to BJD party, Harichandan said.
The BJP leader alleged that Rs 21,000 is being collected as PC (percentage) for geo-tagging of each housing unit, of which Rs 10,000 is going to local MLA and remaining money goes to block staff.
“We strongly oppose this move of the state government. We had staged demonstration in all blocks, NACs and municipalities, September 27. As the government has not taken any action in this regard till now, we will stage a protest here before Raj Bhawan, Thursday,” he said.
On this allegation, BJD leader Anubhav Patnaik said, “The BJP and its leader Prithviraj Harichandan are left without issues and are therefore raking up non-issues to stay politically relevant. As for his allegation, the BJD government has been praised and awarded by the Centre for the good work it has done in this sector.”
“While the PMAY programme has a sharing of 60:40 between Centre and state, if we add the state’s administrative costs, supervision and monitoring; then it exceeds the Centre’s contribution,” he said.
The BJD leader further said people of Odisha have benefitted immensely by the housing scheme of the BJD government which Harichandan is “unable to tolerate and therefore is resorting to such frivolous and baseless statements.”