‘Well-to-do’ get subsidised houses

More than a hundred well-to-do house owners and non-beneficiaries have allegedly received subsidised houses under the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Revival Mission in Bharatnagar Shivajinagar area of Nashik city, a local social worker has claimed.

The origin of the alleged scam is an anti-encroachment drive conducted by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) in February 2015 in which 12 houses were removed to make way for a 100 ft road.

Within days, the number of houses removed allegedly became 170 on paper with an official panchanama, Nazir Moh Hanif Mansuri, the social worker, claimed.

One of the beneficiaries, Mansur Moh Patel, allegedly has three houses in Bagwan galli, Bharatnagar, out of which he has given two out on rent to two families. This seems to be visible from his affidavit filed in 2008 to add the names of tenants in the electoral roll (A copy of which is available with The Asian Age). Earlier, when he complained to the NMC, Mr Mansuri said he was told to bring proof. He then proceeded to collect evidence, which includes a list of non-beneficiaries.

Mr Mansuri has sent complaints (a copy of which is available with The Asian Age) to the President of India, PM, CM, Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) and high-ranking officers over the issue but said no action has been taken so far. NMC officers were not available for comment.

Mr Mansuri, an auto driver, appealed to the government that hundreds of eligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) families are languishing in slums while their rightful houses have been taken by non-beneficiaries.

Mr Mansuri, who suffers from cardiac problems and lives in the same area, said he has received threats to his life and to his family. He also complained to the Nashik commissioner of police on March 3, 2016 and demanded protection.

If the bogus beneficiaries have indeed received houses, then they might have prepared fake documents including yellow ration cards, domicile certificates, election cards and Aadhar cards, sources said.