Decade on, 24 EWS houses not allotted in Pinjore

Tribune News Service

Sanjay Bumbroo

Panchkula, March 18

Twenty-four houses built under a government housing scheme for the poor in Pinjore over a decade ago are yet to be allotted. The houses have started to crumble as these await occupancy.

The project, “Adarsh Pradarshan Awasiya Yojana”, was undertaken by the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.

The reason behind the failure to allot the houses is the government’s lackadaisical attitude in appointing a committee to invite and scrutinise applications for the purpose. The policy under which the houses are to be allotted was framed earlier and members of the committee were also nominated. However, with a change of government in 2014, the committee was dissolved.

The foundation stone, which lies broken and covered with mud now, was laid by the then Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Kumari Selja, on February 28, 2009. The construction was completed on December 8, 2012, and since then, the complex has been lying vacant. It includes 24 double-storeyed houses and a community centre.

The 411-sq ft houses, located on the Bitna road in Pinjore, were built at an estimated cost of Rs 47 lakh. The project was undertaken on a no profit-no loss basis.

Vijay Bansal, president of Shivalik Vikas Manch, has been writing to the government to complete the formalities for the allotment, but to no avail.

Haryana Speaker Gian Chand Gupta said the matter was not in his knowledge and added that he would seek information from the authorities and would pass necessary orders for allotment of the EWS houses.