Pilot phase of Rajiv Awas Yojana at 15 slum clusters

"The pilot phase of Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) will be taken up in slum clusters of Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack, Rourkela, Berhampur and Jajpur," Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Jaydev Jena told reporters here.

Jena said he has received a communication in this regard from Union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Ajay Maken.

The PCC CHief said Maken has informed that detailed project report (DPR) for construction of 878 new houses and 130 transit rental houses spread over 15 slum clusters at a cost of Rs 47.78 crore has been approved by the central sanctioning and monitoring committee of his ministry.

The first instalment of about Rs nine crore would be released shortly, Jena said, adding, the BJD government in Odisha would have to play a major role to ensure that benefits of RAY reach the target audience and the scheme is popularised amongst the urban poor.

Maintaining that the Congress-led UPA government has been generously releasing funds to states including Odisha for various schemes, Jena said wherever states are cooperating the programmes sponsored by Centre have become successful.

However, Odisha has failed to cooperate properly in implementation of central funded schemes like Indira Awas Yojana, MGNREGA and NRHM despite getting huge funds.

Hitting out at the BJD government over chitfund scam, Jena said the matter should be investigated by an agency like CBI as there are reports of ministers and MLAs getting huge money circulated through non-banking financial companies.

If Congress comes to power after next polls in the state, it would confiscate properties of chitfund companies and ensure payment to gullible people who had invested their hard earned money in the business, he said, adding, the matter would also be probed by CBI.