The Trinamul-ruled Santipur civic body authorities on Wednesday told government housing scheme beneficiaries “categorically” not to pay local political leaders bribes even if they promised benefits under the scheme.
This move, sources said, comes in the wake of two recent high-profile arrests of Trinamul leaders Partha Chatterjee and Anubrata Mondal in connection with alleged SSC and cattle smuggling scams.
The Santipur body will open a grievance cell specifically to take complaints of “extortion” by political leaders.
Speaking at a meeting on Wednesday, Santipur municipality chairman Subrata Ghosh told housing scheme beneficiaries that Trinamul would need the help of the voters in “stemming the rot”.
“Tell them (political leaders demanding money) ‘no’ boldly and then tell us. We need your support to stop corruption,” he said.
This first-of-its-kind “transparency awareness meeting” that aims for proper utilisation of funds was organised at the public library hall.
Around 1,800 beneficiaries were invited to a session to make them aware of the basic rules and regulations of the scheme. The beneficiaries were given a booklet and shown a video about the proper ways to execute their residential building contracts for which they would get Rs.3.68 lakh in five installments.
But the event made news for touching on corruption.
“Certain incidents have opened our eyes. These incidents caused immense embarrassment to us. So it is a careful initiative on our part to avoid such things in future by making people aware in advance,” said Ghosh.
Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: “Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been trying to function with transparency. All persons are not the same. But we have been doing our part honestly and transparently too.”
A beneficiary of the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojona, which the Bengal government renamed the Bangla Awas Yojona, gets Rs.3.68 lakh to build a home.
A beneficiary has to contribute Rs 25,000.The Centre then pays Rs 1.5 lakh and the state government Rs 1.93 lakh.
But beneficiaries often allege that they never receive the full sum since a section of ruling party leaders involved at the local level, like gram panchayat and municipality, siphon some of the money.
Ghosh said: “We told them (beneficiaries) not to be influenced by anybody, even if they happen to be our party leaders. To never pay anyone any money, to never be trapped by anyone to get the work executed on contract. It is your money, your home so get it done yourself engaging workers and masons. For technical support our engineer is there to help.... If anybody demands money from you, tell us. Lodge a complaint with police.”
Chandu Sheikh, a mason by profession and a housing scheme beneficiary, said: “I had heard from beneficiaries earlier that they were compelled to satisfy party leaders with money. But the chairman’s words sounded different today. It is a ray of hope for poor people like me.”
A BJP leader in Nadia called this a “desperate attempt” to clear the “stain”. “It is good that by making such announcements Trinamul leaders are in real terms confessing to their crimes and corruption,” he said.
