Scores of villagers staged a protest outside the residence of a Trinamool Congress panchayat member in Cooch Behar-I block's Bhajanpur village on Saturday, alleging that beneficiaries of the state’s housing scheme were forced to pay “cut money” to local party members.
Bhajanpur falls under the Panishala panchayat.
According to people in front of panchayat member Selina Bibi's house, she and some other Trinamool leaders had collected money from beneficiaries in exchange for facilitating the housing grant.
They also alleged irregularities in the allocation process, including the misuse of job cards to secure houses for ineligible beneficiaries.
According to the protesters, one person's job card was allegedly used to obtain the assistance of the housing scheme for another individual, depriving genuine beneficiaries.
Resident Kahir Ali alleged that when the first installment of ₹60,000 was credited to his bank account, he was forced to pay Trinamool party leaders a sum of ₹10,000.
“I had to act on the instructions of Bachchu Mian, a local Trinamool leader, and transfer the amount online to the bank account of Atowar Ali. The panchayat member was well aware of it,” he said.
“I asked him to return the money about 25 days ago. I was asked to wait for 15 days. Even after the deadline passed, I did not receive my money. That is why we were compelled to stage this protest,” he added.
Resident Munna Hossain alleged that Selina Bibi, as well as others associated with the party, like Yakub Ali, Atowar Ali, and Bacchu Mian, took between ₹10,000 and ₹20,000 from villagers while promising them assistance under the housing scheme.
“Most beneficiaries received only the first installment of the housing grant. Their houses are incomplete as they have not received the subsequent grant (also of ₹60,000),” he alleged.
Protesters said they would continue their agitation until the money was returned and issues related to job card misuse were addressed.
Subhasish Choudhury, the BJP's Cooch Behar district media in-charge, alleged that the irregularities had surfaced during an ongoing administrative survey in Panishala panchayat under the Natabari Assembly constituency.
“Over the past 15 years, Trinamool leaders misused the job cards of poor people to facilitate such irregularities and take cut money. We urge the administration to conduct a thorough investigation so that no deserving beneficiary is deprived of government welfare," Choudhury said.
Bibi, the panchayat member, and other accused Trinamool leaders could not be contacted. Calls made to them went unanswered.