Ranpur: Bona fide beneficiaries of Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana (BPGY) in Nayagarh district are allegedly being deprived of getting houses allotted to them as they are unable to pay bribes to the officials.
The BJD Government which returned to power with a massive mandate in 2014 by promising to convert all kutcha houses into pucca ones by 2019 in its manifesto.
Although some bona fide beneficiaries of Ranpur NAC have been given work orders for pucca houses under BPGY, they have not received the benefit so far. The residents of Ranpur civic area say that some officials, politicians and contractors are demanding bribes and no action is being taken against them.
Around 800 beneficiaries were issued work orders and a grant of Rs 2 lakh each as per the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in fiscal 2018-19. They had to finish construction of their houses within six months or a year. But three families have not been given work orders in the last four months as they are unable to pay bribes to officials.
The former king of Ranpur had engaged 15 Mali families for the Balunkeswar Temple in Ward No. 2 of Ranpur NAC. The king had settled them at the old Basant village, and since then the families have been residing on Stitiban lands of the temple allocated to them.
The Mali families were later included in the Odisha Urban Housing Mission (OUHM) and issued work orders under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, by the Department of Urban Development.
Initially, work orders were issued to Krushna Chandra Rana, Prakash Rana, Debananda Das and Arakshita Rana and sent to the NAC office for action.
When the four beneficiaries reached the NAC office for their work orders, the ministerial employees demanded Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per work order from each of them.
Of the four beneficiaries, only Krushna Chandra Rana was given the work order, and he has built a pucca house of his own. The three others are staying in kutcha houses as before with polythene sheets wrapped over their thatched roofs.
On being contacted, Ranpur NAC executive officer Archana Nayak said, “Some beneficiaries of Ward No. 2 have been issued work orders under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. We will arrange to provide pucca houses to other beneficiaries after investigations. However, no bribes are being collected in the name of Awas Yojana.”
Giving her views Ranpur NAC Chairperson Sabita Das said, “The beneficiaries are supposed to get work orders immediately. I will find out why three persons belonging to Ward No. 2 have not been given work orders in the last four months.”
Ranpur MLA Satya Narayan Pradhan said, “I have instructed NAC officials to issue work orders to them immediately. Poor people are suffering due to the inefficiency and corruption of some employees at the NAC office. Strong action will be taken against them.”