Manjla Villagers Allege Eligible Poor Families Excluded From PM Housing Scheme

Allegations of irregularities have been raised in the Manjla Gram Panchayat of Banda block in Sagar, where poor families claim they have been left out of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The issue has raised the question, “गरीबों का हक कौन खा रहा है?” or who is taking away the rights of the poor.

The allegations concern homeless families who are still waiting for a permanent house under the scheme. The villagers have also raised questions about the role of the sarpanch, secretary and employment assistant.

The government says, “सरकार कह रही है - आखिरी आदमी तक योजना पहुंचेगी, पक्की छत मिलेगी...” However, villagers allege that the situation in Manjla Gram Panchayat is different. They say poor families are still forced to live in huts, while government records show the schemes as completed.

The villagers’ direct allegation is, “पात्रों को हटाया, अपात्रों को बांटा।” They claim that eligible beneficiaries were removed from the list, while ineligible people were given the benefits.

Several families in Manjla allegedly do not own even one yard of land. They also do not have a permanent roof over their heads. For these families, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is described as their last hope.

The villagers say they applied several times and repeatedly visited the panchayat office. They claim that every time they received only assurances. They have questioned why the money being provided by the government is not reaching the poor people of Manjla.

The villagers have specifically questioned the functioning of Sarpanch Ajay Kumar Mishra, Secretary Arvind Sahu and the employment assistant. They have levelled serious allegations of corruption and negligence against the panchayat representatives and officials.

According to the villagers, the survey carried out in the name of identifying beneficiaries was only a formality. They allege that people who genuinely needed houses were ignored.

The panchayat’s response to these allegations is still awaited.

The villagers have appealed to the district administration and said, “कलेक्टर साहब, जरा इधर भी देखो!” They have demanded a complete investigation into the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and other schemes in Manjla Panchayat. They have also sought the public release of the list of eligible beneficiaries.

The villagers further demanded action if any negligence is found. The questions before the administration are whether those responsible have effectively blocked the rights of poor families in Manjla and whether the survey was manipulated.

The source material lists a byte from a rural resident of Manjla and another from Virendra Singh Lambardar, MLA from Banda.

It remains to be seen whether the district administration takes notice of what has been described as a sensational case, or whether the poor people of Manjla continue waiting and looking towards the schemes.