The BJP has threatened a mass agitation in opposition to a record of PM Awas Yojana (PMAY) beneficiaries made public by the Naveen Patnaik authorities in Odisha, which it says has omitted 1.5 lakh poor individuals.

The state authorities has made the provisional record of beneficiaries public on Monday. The state’s Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water division displayed the provisional record of 9.5 lakh beneficiaries underneath the scheme in any respect the gram panchayat places of work, faculties, anganwadi centres and different public locations in villages.

The record will stay displayed from January 16 to January 24 for public scrutiny, the division secretary S Okay Lohani mentioned.

In West Bengal, a row in opposition to the scheme has stirred up with the state authorities writing to the Centre demanding the quick launch of funds underneath the PMAY, underlining that the state will fail to fulfill its March 31 deadline for constructing 11 lakh homes, if there is any additional delay, a senior official informed PTI.

Information18 explains what the scheme is, and why the rows have stirred up:

What is the PM Awas Yojana?

The Indian authorities launched the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in 2015 with the objective of offering reasonably priced housing to all residents by 2022.

The authorities hoped to supply its beneficiaries with an curiosity subsidy once they took out loans to purchase or construct a home by way of this credit score linked subsidy scheme (CLSS), a report by the Indian Brand Equity Foundation explains.

The scheme was created to help the middle-income neighborhood, economically deprived teams (EWS), and low-income teams (LIG). The scheme is divided into two sections primarily based on the areas it serves: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G) or Rural.

PMAY-U, which was launched in 2016, aimed to supply ‘Housing for All by 2022’ by setting up 1.12 crore homes for the nation’s city poor over the following seven years (between 2015 and 2022).

PMAY-G was launched in November 2016 with the objective of supporting ‘Housing for All by 2022’ by setting up 2.95 crore homes for rural poor throughout the nation by 2022.

Beneficiaries

It is out there to individuals who stay in each city and rural areas and meet sure standards.

SCs/STs, freed bonded labourers and non-SC/ST classes, widows or next-of-kin of defence personnel killed in motion, ex-servicemen and retired paramilitary forces members, disabled individuals, and minorities.

Beneficiaries are chosen primarily based on the next standards: Through a three-stage validation course of that included the Socio Economic Caste Census 2011, Gram Sabha, and geo-tagging.

Cost Splitting

The price of unit help is cut up 60:40 between the central and state governments in plain areas and 90:10 in North Eastern and hilly states.

So, What Happened in Bengal?

The deadline to finish the development of 11 lakh homes underneath the PMAY scheme in West Bengal is not going to be met except the pending Central dues on this depend are cleared, the state authorities had communicated to the Union ministry of rural improvement on Tuesday.

The state authorities has communicated this to the Union authorities in a reply to a current 493-page question by the latter in search of clarifications in regards to the utilization of funds underneath the PMAY scheme in the state.

In the letter, the Union ministry additionally made it clear that in absence of correct clarification on this depend additional Central funds underneath this scheme is not going to be launched.

In its reply, IANS cited sources from the state panchayat affairs and rural improvement division as saying that the state authorities has clarified that it has already supplied the Union authorities with mandatory explanations on fund utilization underneath the scheme.

In the reply it has additionally been communicated to the Union authorities that the state authorities has saved its share of expenditure of Rs 4,800 crore underneath the scheme and is already to spend the identical on this depend as quickly because the state will get the Central share Rs 13,000 crore on this depend.

Two subject inspection groups from the Union Ministry of Rural Development have already carried out an enquiry on this depend in East Midnapore and Malda districts.

Another 5 subject inspection groups from the identical Ministry are scheduled to go to the state and evaluation the scenario in 10 districts.

And in Odisha on Tuesday, a delegation of BJP MLAs met Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal and urged him to facilitate a particular ‘Gram Sabha’ session, the place individuals, whose names have been allegedly deleted from a housing scheme beneficiary record, will get to air their grievances to the state authorities.

The state’s panchayati raj and ingesting water division had on Monday launched a provisional record of 9.5 lakh beneficiaries who could be allotted a home underneath the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) scheme.

The delegation, led by BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi, claimed that 1.5 lakh names, which had figured in the ready record ready in 2018-19, had been discovered lacking in the provisional record.

Alleging that the state authorities took political leanings into consideration whereas making ready the record, Majhi mentioned, “The BJP stands by the individuals who had been denied justice by the state authorities. We have urged the governor to name on authorities officers involved for addressing grievances of those 1.5 lakh individuals. Justice ought to be carried out.” The senior BJP leader also said that saffon party would not hesitate to gherao the chief minister’s residence if the state government did not accommodate these people and drop the ineligible ones.

The ruling BJD, however, rejected the allegation of the BJP and said people can submit fresh applications through proper channels. No ineligible person will be given benefits, said BJD MLA Dhruba Sahoo.

PMAY for Long a Flashpoint in Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May this year, stating that the Central government is not releasing funds to Bengal for PMAY and MGNREGA.

The CM had urged PM Modi’s immediate intervention and direction to the concerned Ministry to release the funds “without any further delay”.

However, the BJP has been alleging rampant graft and misuse of funds underneath PMAY since 2020. It was additionally claimed that the ruling occasion renamed PMAY as Bangla Awas Yojana for political functions, a report by India Today explains.

Adhikari wrote to Modi in August, alleging that the West Bengal authorities was misappropriating Central funds for the implementation of schemes akin to housing and rural job creation.

Following quite a few requests, the Centre halted the funds in March of this yr. However, after a lot political manoeuvring, the union rural improvement ministry reportedly sanctioned â113,000 crore in November for the development of 11.34 lakh houses for the poor underneath the PMAY mission in Bengal.

Officers from Delhi visited the TMC-ruled state in July to evaluate how the PMAY is being carried out. Many signboards with Bangla Awas Yojana had been apparently modified to PMAY.

With inputs from IANS, PTI

Read all of the Latest Explainers right here