Bhubaneswar: Governing Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday strongly criticized the BJP-led Central Government over non-sanction of PMAY houses for seven lakh poor people of Odisha.
Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar, BJD Spokesperson Gautam Budha Das alleged that senior BJP leaders, including a Union Minister have been trying to mislead the people of Odisha on allotment of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for the State.
The Odisha BJP MPs and a Union Minister made conspiracy for which Odisha deprived them of PMAY houses for three years, he said.
Following the State Government’s pressure, the Centre has sanctioned 8 lakh houses against the demand of 15 lakh houses. Where will the other seven lakh people go?, asked Shri Das. The BJP MPs, who have been elected by the people of Odisha, should need to think about it, he added.
The BJD Spokesperson further said that BJP National President J P Nadda was made to give wrong information by state party leaders. It was wrongly stated that 75,000 PMAY houses have been PMAY sanctioned, he said.
At a public meeting in Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district recently, Nadda was given this wrong information by state BJP leaders and a Union Minister to mislead people, Shri Das said, adding that the BJP chief had to face an embarrassing situation because of this.
Accusing BJP of conspiring to deprive lakhs of poor people of PMAY houses, the BJD Spokesperson alleged that after BJP’s defeat in 2019 elections, party leaders and a Union Minister put pressure on Union Rural Development Minister and not to sanction PMAY houses for Odisha. PMAY portal was also shut for Odisha for three years, he alleged.
The BJD leader also accused BJP MPs of obstructing distribution of PMAY houses to the poor people of Odisha instead of facilitating the process. Though the State Government was awarded for Centre for its best performance in the rural housing scheme, the BJP leaders are now making a conspiracy to deprive the poor people of a pucca roof, Das said.
As the Centre has not sanctioned houses for all needy persons, the Odisha Government for its own resources launched Mo Ghara Yojana on May 29.
Under the scheme, a beneficiary can avail housing loan upto Rs. 3 lakh which can be repaid in 10 years excluding 1 year moratorium period in easy installments. They can opt for one of the four slabs of the loan amount – Rs. 1 Lakh, 1.5 Lakh,2 Lakh and 3 Lakh, he pointed out.
Similarly, the family, who has not availed any government housing assistance or has availed assistance of below Rs.70,000 in the past, below Rs 25,000 per month income, does not have a non-commercial motorized four-wheeler for personal use, not a Government employee or pensioner, and having land below 5 acres irrigated land or below 15 acres non irrigated land, are eligible for the scheme, the BJD leader said.
For loan amounts of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 1.50 lakh, Rs 2/3 lakh, the State Government will provide subsidies of Rs 30,000, Rs 45,000, and Rs 60,000, respectively. However, the family headed by SC/ST and PwD will get a subsidy of additional Rs 10,000. Banks will not charge any processing fee from the beneficiary for sanction of the loan, he added.
