Prime Minister Narendra Modi

BHOPAL: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will soon be part of kitchen decor in the houses of 2.86 lakh people in Madhya Pradesh.

Ceramic tiles carrying pictures of Modi and Chouhan will be installed in every house built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The tiles will be fairly large - 45x60cm. One will be placed at the entrance and the other in the kitchen, say sources.

The urban administration department (UAD) has, in its April 4 order, asked all commissioners and chief executive officers of civic bodies in MP to ensure that houses under PMAY have pictures of the two leaders. It has sent a design sample with the letter to each district to ensure that the tiles are made to specification. It has the legend 'Sabka Sapna, Ghar Ho Apna' and the PMAY logo flanked by photos of the PM and CM on either side.

‘People need to know who built houses’

Commissioners and CEOs have been instructed to call tenders and purchase tiles for use in homes built under PMAY.

Over 2.86 lakh houses are proposed to be built in urban areas of MP under PMAY, for which the Centre is contributing around Rs 5,000 crore.

The order, a copy of which is with TOI, categorically states that it is “as per the instructions given by CM in the meeting held on January 2, 2018”. UAD additional commissioner Manju Sharma, who has signed the order, said, “Civic bodies have been asked to fix tiles so that people should know under which scheme their houses were built.”

Asked why pictures of the PM and CM were used, she hedged giving a clear answer. Asked upon whose orders these tiles are being used, Sharma said, “It was a decision taken at a higher level”. UAD minister Maya Singh went incommunicado when asked about it.

