With the last date for filing grievances pertaining to the allocation of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) coming to an end tomorrow, political mudslinging between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) seems to have begun.
BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan came down heavily on the state government for depriving eligible beneficiaries of getting houses under the PMAY scheme.
According to sources, the saffron party has decided to intensify its stir against the Naveen Patnaik-led government over discrepancies in the PMAY scheme.
The saffron party will reportedly send warning letters to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik from 314 blocks. Then BJP will gherao all the 314 block offices on January 31, if steps are not taken to address the issues. Later, the central government will be informed about lapses in the implementation of PMAY scheme in Odisha.
Speaking to OTV, BJP secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said, “BJP has decided to launch a massive protest against PMAY lapses. Many deserving candidates have been deprived of getting houses under the central scheme. On the other hand, many ineligible beneficiaries have been allotted houses under the central government’s flagship program on the basis of their connection with BJD. Our aim is not to deprive a single eligible beneficiary of getting a house. Also, BJP wants to ensure that not a single ineligible person gets a house.”
He went on to add: “The government should remove the names of ineligible candidates from the PMAY list as soon as possible and include the names of eligible candidates.”
Meanwhile, the State government cleared its stance on the alleged discrepancies.
Odisha Panchayati Raj Minister Pradip Kumar Amat said, “We had given sufficient time to register grievances regarding the PMAY. After the deadline ends, the government will think of its next course of action.”
Reported by Harihar Chand, OTV