Bhubaneswar: The state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at the state government alleging irregularities in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Keonjhar district.
State BJP spokesperson Satyabrata Panda Monday alleged large-scale scam in PMAY at Khabara village of Pithagala panchayat under Harichandanpur block of Keonjhar.
He said a fact-finding team of the BJP visited Keonjhar district and unearthed irregularities in utilisation of PMAY fund. The fund meant for construction of houses for Juanga tribal community in Kharba village is being misutilised and percentage is being collected from the poor tribals, the BJP leader further alleged.
Though over 500 housing projects have been sanctioned under PMAY for the village, local BJD leaders and officials have grabbed the money, Panda alleged.
“We visited one Mamata Juanga’s house in Kharba and found her residing in a kutcha house with her one-year-old son. Even though Rs 1 lakh was sanctioned for her under the scheme, she is yet to receive a single penny,” Panda said.
The scenario in Ghasipura, Ghatagaon, Keonjhar Sadar and Jhumpura blocks of Keonjhar district is no different, he claimed.
The saffron party demanded stringent action against the persons involved in the irregularities.
Commenting on this issue, BJD Spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, “The BJP led Union Government keeps awarding Odisha for good work in Delhi and BJP in Odisha continues to indulge in falsehood and trying to unsuccessfully misguide the people of Odisha.”
The BJP-led Centre has awarded Odisha as the best performing state in the country for successfully completing pucca houses in the rural belt under the PMAY. It seems the BJP in Odisha has selective memory and forgets the good work of the BJD government which the BJP government in Delhi awards, he said.
“If the state BJP unit has any evidence about their allegations, let them place it with the collector for the appropriate action. If they do not have any evidence, they should stop misleading the people of Odisha,” Patra dared BJP.