Bhubaneswar: BJP’s State unit on Wednesday alleged that five relatives of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Deputy Mayor K. Shanti are in the list of beneficiaries under the Rajiv Awas Yojana housing scheme, which is intended to provide low-cost houses to the urban poor.
Talking to media persons here, the party’s State vice president Sameer Mohanty said, “The BMC deputy mayor has provided houses under the scheme at Mahisakhal in the city to her son, husband, sister, brother and uncle.”
He added, “The Chief Minister had attended the function on June 13 to launch the project, which was illegal as a case in connection with selection of names in the beneficiaries' list is pending before the Orissa High Court.”
The BJP leader stated some ruling party leaders and government employees have also managed to corner these low cost houses.
Refuting the charges, BMC Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said, “The allegations are fabricated and baseless. No house has yet been provided as per any list. Only house warming ceremony was done after completion of the project,” adding that the beneficiaries' list prepared as per a survey undertaken for the housing project is available on the website and suggestions and objections have been invited by the State government.
Denying any relation with the five relatives mentioned by the State BJP, K. Shanti said, “The charges are baseless. They (BJP leaders) should first come to the ground and then talk about the issue. I was born in the Mahisakhal slum. Besides, during the survey conducted in 2004, the names of me and my husband were mentioned.”
Notably, the HC had sent notices to BDA vice chairman, General Administration department officials and BMC Commissioner in connection with preparation of faulty beneficiaries' list for the Rajiv Awas Yojana.