Decades of Waiting: Bandipora Village Awaits PMAY Benefits
Appeal DC Bandipora to hold Block Diwas in their village to assess ground realities
Abdul Basit
Bandipora 12 June: Destitute Villagers of Banyari of Bandipora District, await PMAY benefits for decades as over 100 families struggle in makeshift 'tin sheds'.
Shocking Reports Surface from Banyari Village in Bandipora District as 100’s of destitute families demand long overdue PMAY cases, villagers are in Queue from decades.
Mohammad Altaf Dar, a beneficiary of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), expressed his frustration, stating, "I have been living in a makeshift shelter with my three children. I submitted my documents in 2017. Despite our repeated pleas, the block administration has never taken our requests seriously."
Dar, a resident of Banyari village, emphasized their plight as impoverished individuals. He lamented the lack of knowledge regarding where to seek assistance for their rights. "If we skip even a single day of work, there will be no food for our children in the evening. However, those in power show no concern and fail to hold the block administration accountable," added Altaf.
Highlighting the gravity of the issue, Altaf stated, "To my knowledge, there are 25 beneficiaries like me who have been waiting for PMAY cases for years. Unfortunately, we have no idea how many others are awaiting assistance in our block."
After conducting extensive ground-level verification and discussions with numerous individuals awaiting their PMAY cases, the Kashmir Convener has confirmed the presence of genuine families living in tin sheds.
Banyari village of Hajin-A block, located at an approximate distance of 45 km away from the district headquarters, is predominantly inhabited by people living below the poverty line.
The validation by the Kashmir Convener sheds light on the dire circumstances faced by these families. Despite being eligible for assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, their long-standing wait for housing support has left them in vulnerable living conditions. The distance of Banyari village from the district headquarters exacerbates the difficulties faced by these marginalized individuals and adds to their struggle for basic amenities and resources.
Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh alleges that he has been waiting for 15 years for a home. He has four daughters and one son, all of whom are minor students. He expresses that he and his family have lost hope of ever obtaining a home.
Sheikh criticizes the administration for having numerous schemes for poor, yet those individuals who are responsible for implementing these schemes on the ground show no mercy for the impoverished. He further states that out of the 86 cases in his village, only six have been addressed or resolved.
Local residents have requested DC Bandipora Dr. Owais to resolve the issue at earliest and urged him to conduct a weekly, “block Diwas ” in their village to listen to their pleas.
However BDO Hajin said those who claim such allegations should go to Panchayat with same, “we are working on PMAY and those who deserve will get their rights”. He said they have 500 pending cases in Hajin block.
Member of the District Development Council (DDC) from Hajin, Naza Bagum, stated that numerous individuals have availed various government benefits through different government schemes. “As a result, they are no longer eligible for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)”.
She said currently, there are approximately 90 pending cases after the verification of beneficiaries. Those individuals who meet the eligibility criteria will receive their entitled benefits accordingly.
