Kaptipada: Rural housing scheme for the poor has gone haywire in Mayurbhanj district with the rich and influential people grabbing all the benefits while actual beneficiaries stay deprived of it, a report said.
The harrowing tale of a 67-year old widow of Aswakoti village under this block becoming homeless after the collapse of her house is a case in this point. She has taken shelter in her neighbour’s verandah after her house caved in due to heavy rain Wednesday night.
The woman was identified as Jema Dei, a native of the village under Lavanyadeipur panchayat in this block. The woman was living alone in a thatched house as a portion of the house collapsed in incessant rain that battered the area Wednesday night.
She escaped death by a whisker and has taken shelter in her neighbour’s verandah. She is living on food given by others as it is difficult for her to cook in her neighbour’s verandah. She no longer feels safe to live in the damaged house as it might fully collapse anytime soon.
Jai Murmu, a social worker, demanded that the district administration intervene and provide the elderly woman a house under the government scheme.
Murmu said the government has framed rules to provide pucca houses to the poor under rural housing schemes. In its bid to include the actual beneficiaries, the district administration is preparing a list of the beneficiaries by organising palli sabhas and gramsabhas in every panchayats.
However, the reality is different in this tribal block where many poor beneficiaries are getting deprived of the scheme while the rich and influential people are reaping the benefits, he alleged. This has happened due to a nexus between the officials and public representatives, he added.
A tribal, who has made it to the list, said on condition of anonymity that the officials and public representatives are demanding bribe from them despite their name finding place in the list.
They are collecting bribes ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 from gullible villagers to allot work order for a house. The name of a beneficiary is struck off from the list if he objects to their demand, he said.
PNN