Hemant Soren's 'Abua Awas Yojna' under scrutiny, draws flak
PTC News Desk: As the Jharkhand assembly elections are round the corner, Hemant Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is focusing on tribal rights and welfare as party's prime agenda. However, the party is under scrutiny for its claims of becoming a strong voice for tribal community during its tenure.
Key promises and schemed of Soren's government including 'Abua Awas Yojana' (Our Housing Scheme), land rights, education, healthcare, and employment have drawn concerns.
BJP's co-in-charge for Jharkhand, Himanta Biswa Sarma, criticised the scheme, stating, "The Jharkhand government's Abua Awas Yojana has turned into a Babu Awas Yojana. Without bribes, no one can get a house."
झारखण्ड सरकार की ‘अबुआ योजना’ ‘बाबू योजना’ बन गई है। जब तक घूस नहीं देंगे, तब तक मकान नहीं मिलेगा।@BJP4Jharkhand pic.twitter.com/C5RAJr8Bdy — Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 16, 2024
The Abua Awas Yojana, launched on August 15, 2023, aimed to provide permanent housing to over 2.5 million residents in Jharkhand, offering beneficiaries a three-room house for ₹2 lakh, with a focus on ensuring safe and affordable housing for tribal communities. However, on the ground, the situation seems troubling. Reports suggest that tribal beneficiaries often face obstacles, including being coerced into paying bribes to access the scheme's benefits. While government data claims that thousands of tribal families have received homes under the scheme, there is a lack of transparency. The official website does not offer clear figures on the number of houses completed. Although the government has pledged to provide housing for all homeless and vulnerable families by 2026, doubts persist about the actual number of homes constructed so far.
There have been certain hindrances in implementing Abua Awas Yojana while corruption being one of them. Many tribal families have reported going through the process of having to pay the bribe to local officials, contractors to get the housing funds sanctioned.
The scheme has also been smeared by administrative negligence allegations. Claims of absence of transparency have been floating and beneficiaries often complain about lack of information regarding the scheme.
Hemant Soren's government has regularly launched programs aimed at the welfare of tribal communities. However, the actual implementation of these initiatives has been lacking. Rather than reaping the benefits, tribal people often find themselves having to pay bribes to obtain the entitlements they are legally entitled to. This has fostered a sense of disillusionment and frustration within the tribal population.
- PTC NEWS
