Poor get poorer
As always, given the inequities built into the global economic system, the poorest people in the world have been the…
Statesman News Service
Kolkata 5 February
The much hyped project of Miss Mamata Banerjee ~ the Geetanjali scheme to set up houses for backward classes in the JungelMahal has been hit due to land acquistion problem.
The project was initiated in 2011 and according to the plan, 2,671 houses will be set up, but till now, land could not be acquired.
Senior officials of the Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs (PUD) department added that the work for identifying land is in progress, but they have managed to identify only five areas at West Mindapore for construction of the housing complex.
According to the plan, each beneficiary is supposed to get a two-room flat with a verandah and the project cost for construction of the housing complex is around Rs 126.26 crore.
For completing the project the department needs around 100 acres area, but now, the project has been stalled owing to land acquisition problem.
In other districts like Burdwan, Birbum and Purulia, land has been identified and the work for construction of the housing complex has begun.
Families with monthly income of Rs 6,000 or less can avail the benefit.
The objective of the housing project scheme is to provide proper shelters to the economically weaker section of the society as well as to create additional employment opportunities for construction workers.
According to the statistics collected from the state government, out of 7,561 housing complexes, only 4,000 houses have been completed till date in four districts including Burdwan, Birbhum, Purulia and Bankura.
Mr Sukumar Hansda, minister-in-charge of PUD admitted that land acquisition is a problem, but they are trying to solve the issue.
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