Bhopal: Budhram Adivasi lives in a thatched hut in a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district. In August, thanks to the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme, he was given the keys to an under-construction pucca house. In fact, Governor Mangubhai C Patel handed over the keys himself and shared a meal with Budhram Adivasi. There was much joy in Budhram’s life then, but little did he know that hosting lunch for the Governor would add misery to his life and cost him a fortune. On August 24th the Governor, while on a visit to the district, attended the ‘griha pravesh’, or housewarming ceremony, and his office scheduled the lunch at Budhram’s home.
Ahead of the ‘VVIP’ visit and photo-op, village and local officials swung into action installing a fancy new gate and fans for his modest home. The day after the ‘VVIP’ visit and photo-op, panchayat members took the fans away and slapped poor Budhram with a ₹ 14,000 bill for the gate. “The officers came they said Governor Sahib would eat lunch here. The new gate worth over ₹ 14,000 was fixed now they are asking for money I don’t have. If I had known I would have to pay then I would not have got it installed,” Budhram told he was also promised a cooking gas connection (under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana) with his new home. But six months later, he has neither gas nor the home, because it is not yet built.
Urban Development Minister Bhupendra Singh told the guilty officials would be punished. “This should not have happened action will be taken,” he said. Mr Singh then indicated “action” would be taken because “this is against the dignity of the Governor”. “We have a tradition that when a guest comes, we decorate the house. But, as you have said, this is against the dignity of His Excellency the Governor. So, we will act,” he said. Poor Budhram’s story, predictably, has led to a political row, with the Congress quick to react. ” Prime Minister Modi has set his government a target of providing all homeless families with houses.