Bolani (Odisha), Jan 1: Coming down heavily on the State Government for misleading the people on Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Ex General Secretary and State Executive Member Dr. Murli Sharma said, Odisha Government has been appropriating Centrally-sponsored Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and using ‘Biju Pucca Ghar’ logo on houses constructed under PMAY thus misleading the people on rural housing scheme of the Central Govt for economically weaker sections.
Criticizing the BJD Government for trying to hijack Centrally-sponsored schemes, Sharma alleged that selection of beneficiaries is not transparent and many of the beneficiaries are supporters of the ruling party. In some cases two to three persons of a family have corned the benefits which are meant for people who figured in the list prepared in 2011 as per the socio-economic caste census. Since the selection of beneficiaries is made on party lines and sanctioned orders are distributed by local MLAs, many eligible people are waiting for years to get the government benefit, he added.
Hijacking of ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana’ by Naveen Govt. under title ‘Biju Pucca Ghar’ will backfire.
Sharma along with hundreds of cadres and leaders of BJP staged mass demonstration at Joda block office on Thursday in protest against the stratagem of Naveen Pattnaik Govt. to hijack Centrally-sponsored Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and the undemocratic manner in which a Central scheme like PMAY is being implemented in Odisha .
BJP leader further said that it is completely illegal to change the name of any permanent scheme of the Central Government and to spend it on other schemes instead of the specific schemes of the Central Scheme is Illegal and crime. He warned that if the state government does not stop its attempts to hijack the central plan BJP will take aggressive steps and would file a case against the chief minister under Section 420 of the IPC in all police stations in the state.
Various leaders of BJP including state council member Debprasad Mishra, Joda Mandal President Sushant Bebarta, President of Bamebari Mandal Kulmani Mahant, President of Bileipada Mandal, President of Badbil Mandal Babula Sahu, District Representative Churchill Mahakud, District Youth Front Vice President Vikas Saraogi, District Secretary Swapna Sahu also participated in the mass demonstration. On the occasion, BJP leaders said that BJD party supporters were being selected as beneficiaries of the party MLAs instructions. However, in some cases, the real beneficiaries are excluded from the scheme. In protest of the state government’s conspiracy, BJP workers tore up the chief minister’s letter and tore down posters of Biju Pakka’s house.