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DMK men selling PM housing scheme applications: BJP

When asked about this, Vellore DMK MLA P Karthikeyan said, “Our party men will not indulge in such activities. The BJP is raking up a non-issue.” He add that he had no information about applications being issued from Thursday.

DMK men selling PM housing scheme applications: BJP
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The banner announcing special camp for PM?s Housing Scheme placed in front of Vellore Collectorate

VELLORE: BJP cadre were irked with the way the Vellore district administration and DMK functionaries called for applications to avail benefits of the Prime Minister Awas Yojana (housing scheme). The banner put up for the purpose at the Collectorate without mentioning it as a Central government initiative stated that the scheme came under the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board.

The “housing for all scheme” envisages construction of multi-storeyed apartments in Vellore’s Dhobi Kana I and II, Kannigapuram, Thorapadi and Kairigiri. The applications, which are to be collected from the Vellore Collector’s office from Thursday, will be issued without any charges.

However, BJP’s rural and urban development wing Vellore district president VSC Venketesan said, “DMK functionaries are openly selling the application forms for prices ranging between Rs 50 and Rs 100 for the scheme. When houses are finally allotted they plan to collect up to Rs 20,000 per house.”

Though rules stipulate that applicants should earn less than Rs 3 lakh annually and should not possess land or houses in any part of India, Venketesan said, “the Vellore Dhobi Association leader last year bought houses for his four sons while some beneficiaries allotted houses under the scheme last year rented them out which is contrary to allotment rules.”

Asked if he had informed the BJP top brass, he said, “I alerted state president K Annamalai through Instagram and plan to talk to him before Thursday.” In a bid to counter DMK’s plan to get houses for their party men Venketesan said he had used social media platforms to inform the public about the scheme. “I have also asked about 500 people from all over Vellore town to get applications.”

On complaining to the Collector about the ruling partymen’s acts, he said, “When I informed a top district official about this, he told me to give a list of BJP men who would also be allotted houses. I told him bluntly that the scheme was not meant for the BJP but for the general public.”

When asked about this, Vellore DMK MLA P Karthikeyan said, “Our party men will not indulge in such activities. The BJP is raking up a non-issue.” He add that he had no information about applications being issued from Thursday.

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Tharian Mathew
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