A 35-year-old man, Mohammed Zubair, attempted to set himself ablaze on Wednesday in front of the district magistrate’s office in Barabanki. He alleged that he was denied the second installment of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) housing scheme benefit due to a bribe demanded by the gram sabha secretary.
Zubair, a resident of Ashokpur Chanchusarai village, arrived at the collectorate with his children on Wednesday morning.
In a desperate act, he poured an inflammable substance on himself and attempted to light a matchstick. Fortunately, alert security personnel and employees overpowered him and extinguished the fire before he sustained any serious injuries. However, he did suffer minor burns.
Taking swift action, District Magistrate Satyendra Singh suspended the gram sabha secretary, Bina Kumari, on charges of bribery and ordered an FIR to be registered. He also directed a thorough investigation into the entire matter.
Zubair’s wife, Zahida Khatoon, submitted a complaint to the DM stating that their family had received the first installment of Rs 40,000 under the PMAY scheme last year. They had begun construction using this amount. However, when the time came for the second installment, authorities allegedly cited a “technical glitch” related to geotagging of their house as a reason for denial.
Zahida further claimed in her complaint that when Zubair approached Bina Kumari, the gram sabha secretary, to resolve the issue, she demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000. Upon their refusal, Kumari allegedly began harassing them, claiming their house was built on illegal land, and ultimately declared it illegal on January 12, 2024.
“I have seven children and nowhere else to go. This house was our only hope,” Zahida stated in her complaint.
