BJP terms Abua Awas scheme a ‘failure’; JMM calls charge misleading

The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday traded charges over the state government’s flagship Abua Awas Yojana, with the BJP calling it “a symbol of despair” and the JMM defending it as a popular welfare measure.

BJP state spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said the scheme, launched with a target of building eight lakh houses by 2026 at a cost of over Rs 16,000 crore, has achieved “barely 15 per cent” of its target. He claimed that most houses remain incomplete, leaving beneficiaries without shelter.

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According to Shahdeo, the government had fixed annual targets of 2 lakh houses in 2023-24, 3.5 lakh in 2024-25, and 2.5 lakh in 2025-26, but the actual progress has been minimal. Citing examples, he said that in Khunti block only 337 out of 1,033 sanctioned houses were completed, in Garhwa’s Bhandariya block 210 out of 850, in Dumka’s Ramgarh block 150 out of 720, and in Pakur fewer than 200 out of 950. “On paper six and a half lakh houses have been approved, but on the ground the structures are half-finished,” he said.

He alleged that lack of timely fund release, delayed payments, and administrative laxity had slowed down work, forcing families to live without proper roofs during monsoon. “This government survives on announcements and advertisements, not delivery,” Shahdeo remarked.

Rejecting the BJP’s charge, JMM general secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey accused the opposition of spreading “falsehoods” and “deliberate confusion.” He said the Abua Awas has emerged as the people’s preferred housing scheme, even above the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Pandey alleged that the Union government had discriminated against Jharkhand by withholding approvals under PMAY. “The Chief

Minister launched Abua Awas from the state budget to ensure the poor get a dignified life. The scheme is popular and progressing despite challenges,” he said.

He added that the government is working to speed up construction by addressing issues linked to monsoon and fund disbursal. “The BJP does not want Jharkhand’s poor to prosper. The people know the reality and trust the state government’s intent,” Pandey said.