The Central Government-sponsored Indira Awas Yojana(IAY) has gone into a mess in Bandhakata and its adjoining villages under Bandhakata Panchayat of Marshaghai police station limits.
Cases of the IAY having been provided to affluent persons, retired Government employees and APl persons have come to the fore. The locals of Bandhakat brought the matter before the notice of the district Collector recently.
Notably, one Tilia Malik of Bandhakat recently filed an application before the BDO of Pattamundai to get the detailed information on IAY, Mo Kudia and other housing schemes provided between 2000 and 2016 to their gram panchayat. The concerned administration provided the detailed information of housing schemes exposing corruption and loot.
As many as four houses have been allotted to one Janakar Nayak and his family members in Musadiha village under Bandhakata panchayat in a single BPl card. While Janakar Nayak, bearing the BPl card No 47/97, managed to get IAY bearing serial number 78 in 2008-09 IAY list, his wife Santilata Nayak was allotted an IAY on the same year bearing serial number 57. Pradip Nayak, son of Janakar Nayak, also got an IAY bearing serial no-63 in 2008-09 IAY list of the said panchayat. Even, Pradip also obtained another IAY bearing serial no 3 in 2007-08 IAY list. Surprisingly, all the four persons of the family managed to obtain the four IAYs in BPl card number-47/97.
Similarly, the son of a retired Government employee, a resident of Teliakana, managed to dupe a couple of IAY projects in his name and his brother’s in spite of not having a BPl card. While Sanjay Nayak, son of Karunakar Nayak , managed to get IAY in 2004-05 list bearing serial no-11, his brother Rajendra Nayak obtained IAY in 2002 -03.
In another incident, a retired Government employee’s family managed to get multiple IAY houses in 2002 though the person does not have any BPl card. If sources are to be believed , one Akhaya Jena, a retired employee of Bandhakata village, managed to get IAY under 2002 -03. On the same year, his wife, Bichitra Jena, and his son Amulya Jena, slyly managed to get Indira Awas one each bearing serial number 26 and 181 respectively in 2002 -03. Three houses under the scheme were allotted to Akhaya Jena’s family despite the fact that they were not enrolled under the BPl category.
Similarly, a farmer of ,Ramani Swain, of Musadiha village, managed to get IAY in 2002-03 and his wife, Mamata managed to get IAY in 2002-03. later, in 2008-09 year, once again Ramani Swain and his wife Mamata were provided two IAY houses bearing serial number 113 and 43.
This is a tip of an iceberg. There are several instances where a family got more than three to four IAY houses in a single BPl card, whereas in some cases a person managed to avail more than two IAY houses without possessing a BPl card. Several political leaders, affluent persons and retired Government officials have been availing IAY by greasing the palms of some venal officials, alleged locals.
When contacted,district Collector Debaraj Senapati informed that he has received allegation in this regard and he has directed the BDO of Marshaghai to conduct an inquiry and take steps against ineligible persons.