Morung Express News
Kohima | April 26
Over two years after the completion of the 720 low-cost dwellings units under the Jawarharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) urban housing for the poor and marginalized sections, the units remain unoccupied.
A number of controversies – ranging from allegation of fund misuse, ineligible candidates making it to the beneficiaries’ list, auction of dwellings by intermediaries to political favoritism have plagued this central housing scheme project.
The housing scheme, a flagship programme of the Union ministry of Urban Development during the UPA government, was inaugurated in 2013 at K Badze, near BSF Camp, Kohima. The housing claim to come with provisions of all infrastructure amenities such a school buildings, community hall, water supply, electricity and sanitation.
The housing scheme is under the Municipal Affairs Cell (MAC), Directorate of the Urban Development, Nagaland. Of three projects, Nagaland has completed only one at K Badze, Kohima.
According to the JnNURM project list (1st April 2016) available online, the physical and financial progress city wise and project wise list indicates that the project in Nagaland costs Rs 133.08 crore where the Central share of Rs 105.60 crore has already been released.
The data further indicate that the project consists of 3504 dwelling units where “3424 has already been completed and the remaining 80 dwelling units are still in progress.” Interestingly, the data also revealed that “1,992 dwelling units have already been occupied.”
Contrary to the information provided on the website, the buildings at K Badze, Kohima, which has 720 dwelling units and is the only completed project till date, remains unoccupied to date. The other two projects, one in Meriema and another in Rüziezou (both in the outskirt of Kohima town) is nearing completion.
A booklet published by the Directorate of Urban Development mentions that out of 20 wards in Kohima, 2213 beneficiaries applied for the housing out of which 1872 were selected- which includes 1162 males and 701 females. The list also had 9 differently-able people.
The housing project is already running in rough weather with the suspension of the Head of Department, Municipal affairs Cell for a number of reasons, one of which includes alleged fund mismanagement of the JnNURM.
Bogus beneficiaries
A number of selected beneficiaries included in the booklet are alleged bogus beneficiaries. Bao, a Junior Engineer from Municipal Affairs Cell (MAC) said the criterion for availing the dwelling unit is that the beneficiary should have a monthly income below Rs.5000. The beneficiary also has to pay Rs 30,000 for availing the apartment.
However, a number of beneficiaries include government employees, businesspersons and political party workers whose monthly income are way above the prescribed income.
A government employee, who did not wished to be named, said he bought a dwelling unit in 2015 for Rs. 30,000. According to the government employee, there was no selection process; anyone having the right contact and able to pay Rs 30,000 could buy the dwelling unit.
“After suspension of the MAC Director, I was informed that the flat will not be allotted to me,” he added. A businessman from Midland Colony said he applied for a flat for Rs 42,000. “We were approached by the ‘colony.’ Since the poor could not afford it, they offered us and so we applied,” the businessman, on condition of anonymity, admitted.
Political favoritism
Even though the Municipal Affairs Cell is in charge of the JnNURM housing scheme, the responsibility for selection of the beneficiaries was given to the colony/wards authorities.
But in the case of New Market area and AG Colony, the selection of beneficiaries has been made into a political affair. “It was purely a political selection” as workers from one political party took the initiative. “We did not have any hand on the selection,” a ward leader from New Market disclosed.
AG Colony Chairman, Akhrieo also said that the colony ward leaders did not select the beneficiaries but the party workers did.
“Our job was just to compile the list of applicants with necessary documents. The selected list was never made public. The houses were sold out and some even allotted to non-Naga inhabitants under bogus names,” another source from New Market Colony involved in the process of application said.
There are also allegation that many of the beneficiaries are alleged supporters of political leaders and top government department officials.
More controversy?
The housing project is running into fresh controversy. Following the suspension of the MAC Director, a revision of the list of earlier selected beneficiaries was made and a new list has come up- a copy of which was made available to The Morung Express.
In this final list of the 720 beneficiaries, over a hundred beneficiaries belong to a single village. The names of colony/wards are not mentioned in the list. Almost 10 percent of the beneficiaries have income above Rs. 5000.
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