Housing scheme : Help all needy, says Pradhan over Govt's 'selective approach based on social media report'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 07 2021: Pradhan of Waiton Gram Panchayat in Imphal East district, Pukhrambam Surbala has urged the authorities concerned not only to assist in building houses for those reported on social media but also to give equal eye to others whom the Gram Panchayat has proposed for help earlier.

Speaking on the sidelines of a drive conducted along with media personals to inspect houses within the Gram Panchayat which are in extremely poor conditions and in need of immediate assistance, the Pradhan said that houses for 14 beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) listed in the financial year 2016-17 have already been completed.

In 2018, as per a resolution of Gram Sabha, the Gram Panchayat also sent an additional list of 554 households for consideration as beneficiaries to authorities concerned after conducting a detailed survey through Ward Members, she said.

However, there has been no response or any attempt on the part of the concerned authorities to conduct verification of the list as approved and proposed by the Gram Panchayat till date, she lamented.

Reportage on social media about households with pitiable living conditions and immediate assistance acting on the reports leaving aside the proposals sent to concerned authorities to ensure affordable houses earlier, has shrunk the credibility of local representatives considerably, she said.

The representatives also can feel the pain of those poverty stricken families living in deplorable houses, she continued while drawing the attention of the Chief Minister and Ministry concerned to chalk out a policy to ensure all deserving households better houses.

To everyone's delight and praise, the State Government has taken prompt actions to build houses for those poor households based on reports floated on social media.

The Government, on the same note, must also take a keen eye to conduct a thorough survey within the GP and ensure houses to others as named in the additional list prepared by the GP earlier.

The people of the area and the local representatives would be grateful and consider that there is 'Good Governance' even if only 10 out of the 554 as proposed by the Gram Panchayat are ensured proper houses, she said.

Any positive work within the Gram Panchayat is welcome, however ignoring and keeping aside the Gram Panchayat is akin to humiliation and should not be encouraged.

For governance to be called good, works need to be done through proper channels and representatives who are rightly elected by the people, she said while taking strong exceptions to approaches which are visibly aimed at giving undue advantage to someone from outside the system.

The State Government, through officials conducted a field visit at the Gram Panchayat acting on a social media post recently and she was there to assist, she said while adding that ignoring the proposal and rushing in to help one among the list of many will only demean and discredit the work of the local bodies.

It would be better to dissolve the local bodies if their role and functions are to be bypassed and ignored, she continued.

Comment