Agartala, 25th July 2026: Fresh controversy has surfaced in Gournagar Block, Kailashahar, regarding the allocation of houses under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana. Allegations have been raised against Block Development Officer (BDO) Ankar Deb for enlisting ineligible beneficiaries while excluding genuine applicants, and for subjecting complainants to humiliation by summoning them with notices and keeping them waiting for hours without addressing their grievances.
According to reports, surveys were recently conducted across several gram panchayat areas under Gournagar Block to identify eligible families for free government housing. In many cases, households were surveyed twice. However, when the beneficiary list was published, numerous poor and deserving families found their names missing, while financially stable individuals with concrete two-storey houses were allegedly included.
The incident has sparked anger among residents of different panchayats. When villagers approached local offices to inquire about the omissions, panchayat secretaries failed to provide satisfactory answers and advised them to submit written complaints to the BDO. Many subsequently lodged formal complaints highlighting either wrongful inclusion of ineligible persons or exclusion of qualified applicants.
One such complainant, Prashanta Sinha of Kirtanthali village in Ward No. 1 of Gournagar Gram Panchayat, stated that despite fulfilling all eligibility criteria and undergoing two surveys, his name was excluded. After filing a written complaint, he received a notice instructing him to appear at the block office with documents at 10 AM on a specified date. Similar notices were reportedly issued to several other deprived families.
On the appointed day, while those who had filed complaints against others were heard by Additional District Magistrate Arghya Saha, individuals who came to present their own grievances were left unattended. Despite waiting from 10 AM to 1 PM, neither the BDO nor any other official addressed their concerns. Complainants alleged that they were treated discourteously and felt insulted and deceived.
Angered by the incident, deprived beneficiaries are now preparing to submit a collective written complaint against BDO Ankar Deb to the District Magistrate. Meanwhile, the Gournagar Block administration has not yet issued any response to the allegations. Officials have assured that once a statement is available, it will be published with due importance.
