ALLEGATIONS AGAINST GYATEN KARMATAR GRAM PANCHAYAT TOTALLY FALSE

Letter:
This is in response to a recent report in a Nepali daily  regarding non completion of a pucca house under Chief Minister’s Rural Housing Mission at Gyaten Ward of Gyaten Karmatar GP under Maneybong Dentam constituency belonging to Bimal Rai. In the report, Bimal Rai, the pucca house beneficiary has given many irresponsible statements to which the undersigned would like to make some clarifications.
That Bimal Rai was given allotment order in 19.10.2011 for the construction of pucca house as prioritized by Gram Sabha of the GP on the merit of his economic category which falls under BPL category and not as per the desire of the concerned MLA or the Gram Panchayat members as reported. Further the allegation leveled against Mr. DR Rai [not BR Rai as reported], to be the contractor of his house is false as the scheme itself is owner driven with all the cheques for three instalments namely for 1st, 2nd and 3rd amounting to Rs. 50,000; Rs. 1,00,000 and Rs. 1,50,000 respectively were drawn in the favour of the beneficiary himself payable in his own account only. The total entitled amount upto the Stage 3rd, i.e upto the slab casting level amounting to Rs. 3,00,000 has been released by the BDO Office, Dentam. Mr. DR Rai is the beneficiary’s elder brother who in fact was very supportive and has voluntarily extended supervision in construction of that house and as a result the quality of the work upto slab level has come out as one of the best. So the question of Mr. DR Rai being the contractor is simply false. As per the rule, the beneficiary will get the final installment of Rs. 1,00,000 only on completion of the construction and at the work site even the necessary wooden panels required for the house has been prepared for use and the house can be completed within a month at the most provided the beneficiary himself takes initiatives on his part too.
The Government had granted pucca house to Mr. Bimal Rai who had no proper pucca house to live in a year back purely based on a baseline survey and his BPL economic status. While many are still waiting with high hopes to be covered under the kuccha house free scheme, the statement of Mr. Bimal Rai is not forthcoming. When construction had started he was happily undertaking land development for the house under MGNREGA and he is also one of the masons working on his house that has reached the 3rd Stage at present. So, his unhappiness with the progress of construction of his own house reflects on his own work as well since the construction is purely owner based. The allegation leveled by Bimal Rai of being prevented from cultivation of vegetables on his land is false too as the new house has been constructed exactly at the site where his kutcha house used to stand.
With the allotment of two pucca houses under CMRHM to two beneficiaries under Gyaten Ward including Mr. Bimal Rai’s in the first lot, the whole of Gitang Village which is visited often by foreign tourists will benefit and make the village more picturesque as these will be the first buildings to be constructed here in Gitang under Gyaten Ward. The villagers are in fact very positive and thankful to the Government for the allotment of pucca buildings at their village.
We know that the Maneybong Dentam constituency is the first constituency to handover three RCC Slab buildings to beneficiaries with the maximum number of houses completed and hence, the Gyaten Ward also pledges not to lack behind in this historic mission started by the Government. Being the former President of the Gram Panchayat and as the newly elected (uncontested) ward panchayat, the undersigned will be monitoring the construction of the house of Mr. Rai personally while re-counseling the beneficiary to understand the most important role in construction which is to be played by himself. Mr.Bimal Rai will surely understand and appreciate the effort of the Government once he starts living in his pucca house for years and years to come.
Therefore, I on the behalf of whole of Gyaten Ward, condemn the false allegations leveled against the Gram Panchayat and all concerned in the said news report. The concerned Nepali daily is also requested to print this rejoinder positively please.
Markit Lepcha, Former Panchayat President-Gyaten Karmatar & Ward Panchayat Elect -Gyaten Ward