Villagers allege assault and extortion over PMAY-G ‘scam’
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 11: Robbed, beaten and bruised, residents of Bhangarpar village in West Garo Hills district, including the headman, have reached the state capital seeking refuge, fearing for their lives. Their only “crime”, they claim, was speaking the truth about the implementation of the Awas Plus 2024 (PMAY-G) Scheme.
Making a desperate plea for safety and security, Bhangarpar headman, Mottior Hussain, alleged that the headman of Pabomari village, Mojibor Ali, and another resident of Bhangarpar, Taher Ali, have been collecting money from job card holders by falsely promising to include their names in the Awas Plus (PMAY-G) list.
According to him, these individuals have been taking geo-tags of houses in the village and collecting Rs 2,000 from each job card holder as a bribe. Those who refused to pay were threatened with exclusion from the scheme.
Hussain stated that he had earlier filed a complaint with the Block Development Officer (BDO).
It was following this, a person identifying himself as a reporter, allegedly sent by the BDO, visited the village, accompanied by a group of men.
He recounted that as soon as he gave his statement to the so-called reporter about the scam, he was assaulted by the accompanying group.
Two other residents, Samimul Islam and Noor Islam, confirmed the headman’s claims, stating they too were beaten after speaking to the reporter.
According to Hussain, multiple FIRs have been filed regarding the matter.
After failed attempts to meet the local MLA, a message was sent via WhatsApp to his personal number, and a formal complaint was also submitted to the deputy commissioner concerning the alleged extortion.
However, he revealed that despite all these efforts, no action has been taken on the ground, and the villagers continue to receive death threats.
Appealing to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma for urgent intervention, the villagers, while demanding justice and security, said they have nowhere else to turn.
It may be mentioned that this allegation also cements the State BJP’s claims regarding the poor implementation of centrally sponsored projects in Meghalaya.