Vanishing Contractors, Vanishing Hopes: Housing Scheme Fails Odisha’s Poor
Thousands of beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in Chandahandi block remain homeless as contractors vanish with funds, leaving incomplete houses and shattered dreams.
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana was meant to uplift the poor by providing them with permanent housing. However, in Odisha’s Chandahandi block of Nabarangpur district, the reality has been grim.
While the central government funds housing projects for the underprivileged, many beneficiaries are left homeless due to mismanagement, corruption, and the disappearance of contractors entrusted with construction work.
Between 2016-17 and 2021-22, the government sanctioned 2,927 houses under the scheme. Shockingly, only 385 homes have been completed in the past nine years, leaving thousands of eligible individuals without shelter. Middlemen and contractors have allegedly taken advantage of the system, absconding with funds meant for construction while helpless families continue to live under torn polythene sheets.
Despite repeated assurances from the previous government, residents of Chandahandi have watched their dreams crumble. Beneficiaries who handed over funds to contractors found themselves deceived—many contractors abandoned work after laying the foundation, while others submitted fraudulent reports with pictures of completed houses elsewhere.
Frustration among the affected families is rising. Residents now look to the new government with renewed hope for decisive action. Strengthening monitoring mechanisms, ensuring direct benefit transfers, and holding corrupt contractors accountable are critical steps that could bring justice to those denied their basic right to housing.
