Those who have a house seem pleased; those who haven’t are angry. Official auditors like CAG contend the programme is riddled with corruption, says SAURABH KUMAR SHAHI
It’s 8 am and Garvi and her grandchildren sit cuddled together in the
verandah in this village. It’s cold as the Gangetic plain was witnessing a long winter and, this year, it wasn’t unusual for the mercury to dip to 2ºC – a phenomenon that wasn’t common in this region. The village elderly claimed that Bihar’s Samastipur district hadn’t witnessed such a chilling cold in decades. Still, Garvi, 80, and a Baantar (lower caste refugees from Myanmar), isn’t worried.
For, unlike in the past, she has had a roof over her head for the past five years, thanks to the Indira Awaas Yojna. In fact, when we tried to convince her that a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had noticed misappropriation of funds in the scheme, she was unwilling to believe it or listen to us. She categorically stated that Lalu Prasad Yadav, the former Bihar CM and the current union Railways minister had assured them of a pucca roof. Now that she has got the house, her vote—and also of her kin—would go to his party. She added that she had waited for 72 years to get a pucca ghar. Therefore, the CAG report meant nothing.
Just a mile ahead, in the same village, Brahamdev Paswan talked at length about how another national-level Bihari politician, Ram Vilas Paswan, had assured him and fellow villagers that they would get pucca houses – and also fulfilled the promise. He showed us old photographs of himself, sitting and sharing tea with the union cabinet minister of fertilisers and chemicals. As in the case of Garvi, the moment we dropped figures from the CAG report, Brahamdev snubbed us. Of course, we never asked who he would vote for in the coming elections.
It’s 8 am and Garvi and her grandchildren sit cuddled together in the
verandah in this village. It’s cold as the Gangetic plain was witnessing a long winter and, this year, it wasn’t unusual for the mercury to dip to 2ºC – a phenomenon that wasn’t common in this region. The village elderly claimed that Bihar’s Samastipur district hadn’t witnessed such a chilling cold in decades. Still, Garvi, 80, and a Baantar (lower caste refugees from Myanmar), isn’t worried.For, unlike in the past, she has had a roof over her head for the past five years, thanks to the Indira Awaas Yojna. In fact, when we tried to convince her that a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had noticed misappropriation of funds in the scheme, she was unwilling to believe it or listen to us. She categorically stated that Lalu Prasad Yadav, the former Bihar CM and the current union Railways minister had assured them of a pucca roof. Now that she has got the house, her vote—and also of her kin—would go to his party. She added that she had waited for 72 years to get a pucca ghar. Therefore, the CAG report meant nothing.
Just a mile ahead, in the same village, Brahamdev Paswan talked at length about how another national-level Bihari politician, Ram Vilas Paswan, had assured him and fellow villagers that they would get pucca houses – and also fulfilled the promise. He showed us old photographs of himself, sitting and sharing tea with the union cabinet minister of fertilisers and chemicals. As in the case of Garvi, the moment we dropped figures from the CAG report, Brahamdev snubbed us. Of course, we never asked who he would vote for in the coming elections.
Across Bihar, and several other states in India, the urge to have a house or a roof over one’s head, is an emotional issue. Nothing, absolutely nothing—be it issues of higher wages, employment guarantee, food for work or education—can evoke such responses and over-riding political support. Politicians too take advantage of this, and claim that the houses have been built by them. So, who has actually built these houses under the Indira Awaas Yojna? Is it Ram Vilas Paswan, Lalu Yadav, local Parliamentarians and MLAs, or the Centre?
The central government guidelines say that the ministry of rural development is responsible for policy, planning, finance, guidance, monitoring and evaluation of the programme. At the state level, the responsibility rests with state-level co-ordination committees (SLCCs). The district rural development agencies (DRDAs) and zilla panchayats (ZPs) are entrusted with looking at the programme at the district levels. The block development officers and panchayat samitis are the grassroots implementers. Obviously, the confusing and chaotic hierarchy allows anyone to claim that he or she has got the houses built.
Anil Kumar, BDO of the block, says, “The project has become a tool to garner votes. It is funny sometimes how people of the same villages vote for separate parties thinking they have provided them with pucca houses.” For example, in Rachiahi village of Purnia district, the MP, MLA and MLC belong to three different political outfits, and depending on whom they preferred to support, the voters credit their leader for their house. At least in Bihar, one thing is for sure: no single political party will gain from the project, although the scheme was a pet project of the late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.
Whoever has benefited from the Yojna has few or no complaints and all of them are vocal about the support for their leaders. Only those who are yet to get an allotment are angry, and their numbers are huge. A recent CAG report concluded that the objective of the National Housing Policy to provide “housing for all” by the 9th Five Year Plan was defeated. Against the target of constructing 109.53 lakh units, less than half, or 50.34 lakh houses, were constructed or upgraded as in March 2002 (the last year for which figures are available).
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
The central government guidelines say that the ministry of rural development is responsible for policy, planning, finance, guidance, monitoring and evaluation of the programme. At the state level, the responsibility rests with state-level co-ordination committees (SLCCs). The district rural development agencies (DRDAs) and zilla panchayats (ZPs) are entrusted with looking at the programme at the district levels. The block development officers and panchayat samitis are the grassroots implementers. Obviously, the confusing and chaotic hierarchy allows anyone to claim that he or she has got the houses built.
Anil Kumar, BDO of the block, says, “The project has become a tool to garner votes. It is funny sometimes how people of the same villages vote for separate parties thinking they have provided them with pucca houses.” For example, in Rachiahi village of Purnia district, the MP, MLA and MLC belong to three different political outfits, and depending on whom they preferred to support, the voters credit their leader for their house. At least in Bihar, one thing is for sure: no single political party will gain from the project, although the scheme was a pet project of the late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.
Whoever has benefited from the Yojna has few or no complaints and all of them are vocal about the support for their leaders. Only those who are yet to get an allotment are angry, and their numbers are huge. A recent CAG report concluded that the objective of the National Housing Policy to provide “housing for all” by the 9th Five Year Plan was defeated. Against the target of constructing 109.53 lakh units, less than half, or 50.34 lakh houses, were constructed or upgraded as in March 2002 (the last year for which figures are available).
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus
Top Articles on IIPM:-
'This is one of Big B's best performances'
IIPM to come up at Rajarhat
IIPM awards four Bengali novelists
IIPM makes business education truly global-Education-The Times of ...
The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
IIPM ranked No.1 B-School in India, Management News - By ...
IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
Moneycontrol >> News >> Press- News >> IIPM ranked No1 B-School in ...
IIPM ranked No. 1 B-school in India- Zee Business Survey ...
IIPM ranked No1 B-School in India :: Education, Careers ...
The Hindu Business Line : IIPM placements hit a high of over 2000 jobs
Deccan Herald - IIPM ranked as top B-School in India
India eNews - IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
IIPM Delhi - Indian Institute of Planning and Management New Delhi ...domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
No comments:
Post a Comment