Thanks to the proactive role played by Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and officials concerned, almost all the dwellers of Naxal-infested Saranda would receive a house under Indira Awas Yojna (IAY). The Centre and State have released their first installments by approving 6,000 new houses to be built under the scheme for the below poverty line families.

Saranda homes around 7,000 Ho tribes and 3,700 of them figures in the BPL list. "About 1,000 BPL families have been already getting benefits and have received houses under the IAY. Now, under the SAP 6,000 new dwellings have been sanctioned and both the Centre and State have released the first installments for the building the houses. It is more than sufficient and we are mulling to revise the BPL list to accommodate more number of tribal families into it," Special Executive Officer for the SAP SR Natesh told The Pioneer on Sunday.

The official added that for inducting more names into the list would require a proper survey and after getting approval of the Planning Commission onto the matter, it would be conducted soon. Ramesh is scheduled to visit Saranda on Monday in which he will also handover cheques to some families for building houses. About 800 families have already been deposited with the money under IAY in their respective accounts.

This apart, the Minister would also lay online foundation for two roads built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna at Salai and an Integrated Development Center at Digha.

The Centre has been build in association with SAIL and would present 4-5 activities such as panchayat bhawan, PDS shop, bank etc under one roof.

"About six such centres would come up allotting at least one at each panchayat. We, nevertheless, have proposed ten Integrated Development Centres in the area," said Natesh, adding that 13 proposals for roads dispersed in 56 villeges of Saranda under the PMGSY were coined for construction.

Process of setting up 21 camps of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the area, though, have stuck in the technicalities. Proposals for 17 such camps are pending with Secretary of the Department of Forest and Environment. The rest four have land related issues involved into it.

Review of 74 schools in the Saranda area would also take place that shows a healthy number keeping lesser number of villages over there. "We have to find out how many of them are really effective before proposing fresh number of schools," said an official of Rural Development Department said.

The Minister's visit apart from inaugurating several projects would also review the framework chalked during his last visit of Saranda. Bicycles, solar lights, transistors etc would also be doled to the villagers during Ramesh's one-day stay in the area.