Nandapur: Members of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities residing in the state are soon going to be deprived of loans under the ‘Mo Ghara’ housing scheme implemented by the state government, a report said Wednesday. They are a worried lot nowadays as banks are strictly denying loans to the members of SC and ST communities for house building under the scheme. This has happened as Sections 4 and 5 of Odisha Schedule Area Transfer of Immovable Property Act 2/1956 have proved an impediment in sanctioning loans under ‘Mo Ghara’ to the scheduled community members.
As a result, the SC and ST communities residing in Nandapur block are likely to be deprived of loans under state government-sponsored ‘Mo Ghara’ yojana. The SC community comprises 10 per cent of the total population while the ST members are 36 per cent of the total population in Nandapur block. The SC community is 14.2 per cent of the population while the ST members are 50.6 per cent of the population in the Koraput district. Similarly, 39.98 per cent of SC and ST communities in the state will not be able to benefit from this scheme. It is alleged that the scheme is only meant to serve the members of the general caste and backward caste communities and not the members of SC and ST communities.
Reports said that the state government announced loan facilities under the ‘Mo Ghara’ scheme to facilitate the construction of new houses for the families deprived of the Centre-sponsored housing scheme Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
Accordingly, the beneficiaries applied for loans at the Common Service Centres (CSCs) for their inclusion in the scheme. Later, the concerned banks called the applicants and declined to sign any contract with them for a loan under Sections 4 and 5 of Odisha Schedule Area Transfer of Immovable Property Act 2/1956. Feeling let down, the beneficiaries met the Nandapur block development officer (BDO) Sujit Mishra and drew his attention to their problem. The BDO also expressed his inability to help them on the pretext of the same rules. Left with no other option, the beneficiaries drew the attention of Pottangi MLA Pitam Padhi. He listened to their problem and urged the state government to change the rules. It is learnt the deliberations are going on at the government level but nothing has come out yet. The MLA said that a change in rule will be approved in the next Cabinet meeting and a motion will be moved in the Assembly.
Notably, the state government has imposed the above restrictions and rules to safeguard the landed properties of SC and ST communities from being usurped by the influential and mighty. This rule has remained unchanged till now. As a result, members of SC and ST communities are unable to mortgage their land properties in banks in lieu of business, housing, or educational loans. The same problem has come to haunt them while applying for loans for house building under ‘Mo Ghara’ scheme sponsored by the state government.