The Odisha government has again accused the Centre of neglecting the state in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana scheme (PMAY).

In a letter to Union minister of rural development and panchayati raj Giriraj Singh, Odisha’s panchayat minister Pratap Jena alleged that the Centre had not kept the promise it made to the state in May 2019 in the aftermath of cyclonic storm Fani for the approval of 1.84 lakh houses under the special PMAY-Gramin programme.

“The Centre did not pay heed to the state’s demand for synchronisation of data on its rural housing portal with “Awaas+” initiative. However, it approved 25.4 lakh houses to BJP-ruled Karnataka under the scheme and synchronisation of data of the Karnataka government with “Awaas+” programme was allowed on January 13,” said Jena.

Jena urged Singh to open the Awaas+ window to incorporate those who were not included in the list of beneficiaries under the scheme. “Ignoring the repeated requests from the state will not support the cause of Odisha and it will further deprive lakhs of tribal beneficiaries living in the scheduled areas of the state,” Jena said in his missive.

Referring to his discussion with Singh through video conferencing on January 27, and chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jena demanded the synchronisation of data of 6.65 lakh households on the state-owned rural housing portal with the Awaas+ initiative. “The Centre is not doing any favour, it is our right. We have demanded to sanction 6.65 lakh houses under the scheme. In BJP-ruled Karnataka, 25.4 lakh beneficiaries got houses under PMAY scheme. I condemn the step-motherly attitude,” he said.

Odisha BJP unit said the state was finding faults with the Centre on PMAY while ignoring its own irregularities in its implementation.

It said that two state BJP leaders had been killed for opposing PMAY irregularities in Odisha. The BJP also alleged the Odisha panchayati raj minister’s involvement in the murder of these leaders.

“The state government and the ruling Biju Janata Dal have engaged in massive irregularities in PMAY scheme and murdered the BJP leaders who opposed them. Minister Jena is involved in the double murder at Mahanga. As many as 17 lakh houses have been sanctioned to the state under the scheme. This is the minister’s new trick to divert public attention from real issues ahead of the panchayat polls,” stated state BJP general secretary Golak Mohapatra.