The Kurseong Municipality on Monday distributed cheques worth Rs 70,000 each to 152 beneficiaries for the construction of houses under the Housing for All (HFA) scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana.
A distribution function held at the Park Location Community hall here was attended by beneficiaries from different areas under Kurseong Municipality, officials and representatives of the Kurseong municipality, vice-chairman of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Board, Anit Thapa, and the local leadership of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM).
“This is the additional or remaining amount of the first installment of the project. In 2016, the municipality had distributed cheques worth Rs 1,20,000 to 164 beneficiaries in the first phase of the project,” Municipality vice-chairman Brigen Gurung said.
He added that the beneficiaries must understand that this is not the second installment. “We will soon initiate the process of distributing the second installment too,” he said.
“Out of the total 164 beneficiaries, we distributed cheques to 152 only on Monday.This is because, even after a gap of around one year, the remaining 12 beneficiaries have not started construction of their houses. We will soon send notices to these 12 beneficiaries,” Mr Gurung said.
In the Municipality area, each beneficiary will be given around Rs 4,41000 under the project for the construction of their houses.
It is learnt that a beneficiary must show a plot of land or a place to construct the house to avail of the facility.
A Municipality official said they plan to construct more than 2000 houses in the municipality area through this project by 2022.