177 disaster-hit Solan families refuse to construct new houses

Ambika Sharma

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Solan, September 23

As many as 177 of the 678 rain disaster-hit families in Solan district have refused to construct new houses with financial aid received under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. They instead want to use the money on the repair of their old houses.

Till July, 678 families were identified from various sub-divisions of Solan district for financial aid under the scheme. While 494 houses pertained to the non-below poverty line (non-BPL) families, 158 belonged to the below poverty line (BPL) families. The remaining houses belong to the beneficiaries under the socio economic caste census.

In the non-BPL category, 120 houses were fully damaged, while 374 had suffered partial damage. In the BPL category, 47 houses were fully damaged, while 111 were partially damaged.

“A sum of Rs 1.5 lakh is provided to the affected families in three instalments for constructing new houses under the scheme. The families whose houses have been completely damaged along with their land have been declared landless and they are also being given three biswa land to construct a new house,” said Ajay Yadav, Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Solan.

“As many as 177 families, whose houses suffered major damage due to heavy rain, have refused to avail of the benefits of the scheme. They want to repair their old houses rather than constructing new ones. They have conveyed that in writing and it has been forwarded to the state government,” said Yadav.

He said the state government would seek the consent of the central authorities to transfer this quota to the families whose houses were damaged in August.

The affected families said Rs 1.5 lakh was too meagre to construct a house and the big families would fail to adjust in the two rooms that could be constructed by utilising the said amount. They preferred to repair their houses than availing of the benefits of the scheme.

The state government has also extended a monetary relief of Rs 1 lakh to those whose houses were partially damaged and Rs 1.30 lakh to those whose houses were fully damaged, as per the relief manual.