BJP raises menace of extortion in central schemes in WGH

SHILLONG, April 13: The Meghalaya BJP on Sunday denounced the rampant corruption in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), accusing village-level functionaries and government officials in West Garo Hills of extortion and intimidation.
BJP vice president and Tura MDC Bernard N Marak sniffed a deep-rooted scam where beneficiaries are allegedly being forced to pay Rs 2,000 for geo-tagging their houses, a service mandated to be free under the central scheme.
“The gram sevaks and VEC secretaries are involved in this scam. I have already informed the BDOs of those villages where huge amounts are being demanded from the poor beneficiaries,” said Marak.
Vowing swift action, Marak announced that the BJP will open helplines to assist harassed villagers and file criminal cases against the perpetrators.
“We will open helplines to help the villagers from being exploited, and FIRs will be filed against the gram sevaks and VEC secretaries who are extorting money from the beneficiaries in the name of PMAY-G,” he said.
The outcry followed a plea from the headman of Bhangarpar village in West Garo Hills, who feared for his life after his bid to expose the racket.
According to Marak, this is not an isolated incident. “Bhangarpar is one of many villages where legally authorised goons are given a free hand to suppress the people who are voicing out against illegalities in the villages,” he said.
“What’s worse is that certain government officials are aware of the exploitation. People are threatened by the VEC secretaries in many villages, and some officials in the block offices are hand in glove with these goons,” Marak said, directly implicating the administrative machinery.
He announced plans to strengthen the party’s grassroots network, declaring, “BJP will activate its offices in all the districts to assist the villagers in availing the central schemes without becoming victims of exploitation.”