Sirsa MP Kumari Selja criticises BJP govt’s housing scheme for poor

Sirsa, July 9

The MP from Sirsa Lok Sabha constituency, Kumari Selja, criticised the BJP government for allegedly mocking the poor, farmers, youth and employees. She said families living below the poverty line, who were promised 100-square yard plots for free, were now being offered 30-square yard plots for Rs 1 lakh, payable in instalments. She questioned how a poor family could manage to pay at least Rs13,000 in instalments.

Initiative for 11 cities

Kumari Selja explained that the then Chief Minister Manohar Lal had announced the allocation of 30-square yard plots to the poor people with incomes below Rs1.8 lakh under the ‘Housing For All’ scheme in 11 cities.

Kumari Selja explained that the then Chief Minister Manohar Lal had announced the allocation of 30-square yard plots to the poor people with incomes below Rs1.80 lakh under the ‘Housing For All’ scheme in 11 cities. Under the scheme, beneficiaries were told to deposit Rs 10,000 within 30 days of receiving the provisional allotment letter and the remaining Rs 80,000 in six instalments. The plot holder was required to build a residential unit within one year and complete construction within 24 months, with restrictions on selling or leasing out the plot for 10 years.

Selja said the beneficiaries would need to take out a home loan of up to Rs 6 lakh, resulting in monthly payments of at least Rs 13,000.

She said this was unmanageable for the families earning less than Rs1.80 lakh annually. She said the government’s conditions effectively trapped poor families, forcing them to surrender the plot if they could not meet the financial requirements.

Kumari Selja called the allocation of 30-sq yard plots a mockery and insisted that these plots should have been provided for free. She recalled that during the Congress rule, 100-square yard plots were given to the poor at no cost.