Bara, December 11

Construction of houses meant for poor people under People’s Residence Programme of the Ministry of Urban Development has been left in a lurch in Bara.

Construction of 993 houses for poor Dalit families had started in different places of the district. The plan was to hand over the houses by October-November. However, one month after the deadline, the houses remain incomplete.

Eleven Dalit families at Sakhui of Kalaiya Sub-metropolis, Parans and Lamidanda of Jitpur Simara sub-metropolis had started constructing houses in June-July. They have just completed the foundation of the houses from the first instalment with Rs 83,000. The status of construction work started by Dalit families in different places of the district also remains the same. They could not complete the houses after the authority concerned did not release the money on time.

“We hoped the government would construct the houses on time and did not repair old houses hoping to shift to new houses,” said Chairman Gyan Bahadur Darjee of People Residence Construction Committee of Jitpur Simara sub-metropolis. Darjee said 11 persons of the committee had started constructing houses, but construction has not proceeded beyond the foundation stage.

Dinesh Majhi Mushahar said they had started construction works with the first instalment of Rs 83,000. “But we have yet to receive the remaining amount for further work,” he added. Mushahar complained that the PRP did not pay attention to them.

Similarly, Bighu Majhi said that he had faced many problems with the PRP’s house construction.

Meanwhile, Sub-engineer Bijaya Yadav at Urban Development and Building Construction Department of Division Office, Parsa, said the budget had been released and construction of houses would start soon. He said that of the 993 houses, nine houses were completed in Bara.

“The remaining houses will be completed by mid-March,” he said. Yadav added that the ministry would release Rs 332,500 to each family for construction of a quake resistance house with two rooms in four instalments.