TURA, March 3: BJP leader and Tura MDC Bernard Marak on Sunday shot off a letter to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma saying that the newly created blocks which were declared before the elections are yet to be functional.
In the letter, the MDC has also demanded immediate functioning of the blocks for the convenience of the beneficiaries.
“I visited the sites at Adokgre, Siju, Purakhasia, Batabari, etc where you declared the new C&RD blocks before the election and found that they are non-functional’, he said in the letter.
It is disheartening to learn that many families in Garo Hills are yet to get the PMAY houses and the payments for the beneficiaries are deliberately delayed which on the contrary have slowed down the work. PMAY (U) meant for the urban areas is delayed beyond the stipulated time and has made many beneficiaries desperate, the Tura MDC claimed.
He reminded that PMAY houses are supposed to be completed in 95 days but even after 5-6 years, some beneficiaries are yet to get their first installment. He went on to claim that wages of the NREGA have been pending for many years in many blocks and even the amounts meant for the materials have been pending for 4 to 5 years.
“The suppliers in many blocks deduct 50% of the material amount before supplying the materials to the VECs which has caused lapses in the supply of materials. It would benefit the PMAY beneficiaries and the job card holders if the due amounts are cleared at the earliest,” he added.
Other issues raised by the BJP leader included old age and widow pensions, pending benefits of farmers, and poor implementation of the JJM.
