The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday boycotted the Chhattisgarh Assembly proceedings as the Minister designate answered only the question of the Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) raised by former Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh.
During the monsoon session, Dr Raman Singh sought details of the PMAY houses sanctioned during 2019-23, the provision of funds and status of houses as complete or incomplete.
Citing a letter of Panchayat and Rural Minister T.S. Singh Deo regarding the failure on part of the government to achieve the target, Singh said it was deliberate on part of the government to deny the poor their houses.
Singh Deo had relinquished his portfolio on the same issue.
Forest, Housing and Environment Minister Mohammed Akbar said the Reserve Bank of India did not permit loan and the Central government had not given its Goods and Services Tax (GST) dues, which could have been utilized for allocation of the state’s contribution.
Raising objection, Singh said in the last two years Chhattisgarh was not given any target due to the failure to make state’s allocation for the scheme.
Akbar said in 2019-20 the sanctioned houses were 1,51,072, of which 72,103 were completed, 1,57,815 houses were sanctioned but no construction was made in 2020-21, and in 2021-22 and 2022-23 no houses were sanctioned.
Thus, out of 3,08,887 houses sanctioned in four years, 2,36,784 remain incomplete.
The Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik stated that in protest they were boycotting the reply of the Minister and the BJP members walked out.