Rs 2 crore allotted to get people to PM event

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration programme of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme’s e-griha pravesh has run into controversy as the rural development ministry has sanctioned Rs 2 crore to bring people to the event.  

Opposition leader Dhananjay Munde has tweeted a picture of the ministry’s letter and raised questions on the need for such a lavish programme at a time when the state facing a drought-like situation.

Mr Modi will be at Shirdi, Maharashtra to attend the e-griha pravesh programme of 40,000 beneficiaries of the PMAY scheme. This scheme pertains to affordable housing and the government has been pushing it, claiming a great response from the public. Mr Modi’s personal attendance has forced government officials to reach out to all five nearby districts of Ahmednagar and bring people for the function.

Director of Management of Rural Housing body Dhananjay Mali has sent a letter to project directors of Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, Beed and Aurangabad districts regarding bringing people to the programme. “Beneficiaries around 20,000 people from these five districts with one family member of theirs shall attend the programme,” Mr Mali wrote to the officers.

In the same letter, the amount of money allocated for bringing the people is also mentioned. “Nashik Rs 75 lakh, Ahmednagar Rs 45 lakh, Aurangabad Rs 15 lakh and Beed and Pune Rs 7,50,000 each has been allocated for the work,” it read. In total, this amounts to Rs 1,50,000. Also, Rs 25,000 has been sanctioned for other work.

Slamming the government, Mr Munde said, “The BJP has realised that people won’t flock to Modi’s rally by their own volition. So, the government money is being used for this.”