Charges of gross irregularities have been alleged against the State Housing and Urban Development (H and UD) Department.
The department has placed contracts worth nearly Rs 5 crore with the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, for outsourcing professionals, flouting all norms and even without paying any heed to the opinion of the State Finance Department.
There is a plan under the Prime Minister Housing Scheme to provide 10 lakh of concrete houses to the slum dwellers of Odisha living under 110 municipalities and municipal corporations by 2022. The yojana had come into being in 2015.
A large number of professionals are needed like MIS, civil engineers, MBAs, GIS, capacity building and architect professionals for the purpose and while tens and thousands of such human resources are readily available in Odisha, the logic of handing over such a work to ASCI is not understood by the unemployed youths of the State.
In this context, a question raised is when ASCI, Hyderabad, has not issued any advertisement through the State level Technical Cell (SlTC) and 18 City level Technical Cells (ClTC), then how has the H and UD department appointed 51 ClTC professionalsIJ
It is further alleged that even after ten months of agreement with ASCI, 69 professional posts are lying vacant owing to the failure of ASCI to provide suitable professionals on this front. Notably, 75 per cent of funding is provided by the Government of India while only 25 per cent is provided by the State Government for the scheme. While it is the duty of the State Government to provide employment opportunities to the eminently suitable Odia unemployed youths readily available, the H and UD department in connivance with the ASCI is trying to embezzle the funds with ulterior motives, it is alleged.
It is further known that while ASCI has no office in Odisha, the H and UD department has gone a step ahead for providing office accommodation to the organisation at the SUDA Complex adjacent to the BMC buildings. Now it is questioned how could a honeymoon of the U and UD department and an outside agency be possible, when the Chief Minister is expressing concern for employment of the Odia youths.