Tension erupted in a part of West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district over lists of beneficiaries in the state’s housing scheme. The Trinamool Congress government has announced that it would build new homes after a tussle with the Union government over the funding of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
Alapan Banerjee, the Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister addressed the media on this issue at the state secretariat, Nabanna, this evening.
Amid allegations of nepotism and corruption, the state has ordered re-verification of housing scheme beneficiaries. For this, the secretariat has issued new guidelines.
The state government has decided to verify data to reconsider the names omitted from the list of beneficiaries.
On Wednesday, there was tension between two factions of Trinamool Congress in South 24 Parganas district’s Gosaba-Bali area.
This came a day after locals and a faction of the Trinamool Congress workers held protests in front of the Sundarbans Development Minister, accusing him and the local MLA of corruption in the process of preparing lists of beneficiaries of the housing scheme.
Violent protests erupted in the area and several motorbikes were torched.
On Wednesday evening Alapan Banerjee told reporters, “Since the Central government is not giving any fund, the state is doing the survey so proper lists can be given to the centre regarding housing scheme”.
“There was a scheme under which the Central government would give 60 per cent, and state would give 40 per cent but since the Centre is not giving anything, the state is doing the survey so that the state can provide an Awas Yojana.”
Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh said, “Now the BJP is trying their best to stop work. They want to punish the people of Bengal. Seeing Mamata Banerjee working for the poor people of Bengal, BJP is trying to defame her. Distribution of houses will be done phase wise”.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari retaliated, alleging a “false list” is being prepared by the state government “to get some money”.