Citing ‘discrepancies’ in PMAY list, villagers manhandle BDO, pradhan

The incident occurred during a special gram sabha meeting at the panchayat office in Bhalluk where Matangini BDO Amit Kumar Gayen and village pradhan Sarat Meta were present.

Some villagers forcibly entered the meeting room, accusing the BDO and pradhan of the discrepancies in the housing scheme list and pushed them around. The panchayat members present in the meeting intervened to pacify the angry villagers who claimed that names of some people have appeared in the list for the second time at the cost of the poor and needy.

They claimed that some panchayat representatives were behind the alleged irregularities.

Kajal Maiti, a villager, said, “The BDO had come to assess the condition of my house. Till four days ago my name was in the list. But when I went to the panchayat office, I heard that my name has been removed from the list. I live with my husband and children in a room. Now they are saying that I will not get a house.”

Local BJP leaders also alleged irregularities in the PMAY list, saying the panchayat is run by the Trinamool Congress workers. The pradhan is including the names of his near and dear ones in the beneficiaries’ list, they claimed.

Panchayat pradhan Sarat Meta claimed that “The survey to prepare the list was conducted according to the government guidelines. “The BDO himself conducted the survey and no panchayat member interfered in the process. This situation was created by some people by inciting the villagers. The poor will get houses under the scheme for sure,” he added.