Vikasnagar (Dehradun): The Jan Sangharsh Morcha staged a tehsil siege on Friday, demanding that benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) be extended only to genuine poor beneficiaries. Led by Morcha president and former GMVN vice-president Raghunath Singh Negi, protesters submitted a memorandum addressed to the District Magistrate to Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vinod Kumar.

Negi alleged serious irregularities in the beneficiary list for Vikasnagar block. While names of several deserving poor candidates had been struck off, the list reportedly included government employees, their relatives, and individuals owning two- to three-storey houses. He claimed that affluent people manipulated the system by showing old tin sheds, cattle shelters, and dilapidated structures instead of their actual buildings to avail scheme benefits. The Morcha demanded a thorough probe into the entire list and monitoring at the tehsil level.

The SDM assured that the list would be examined and eligible beneficiaries would be given their due. The protest saw the presence of Akash Panwar, Vijay Ram Sharma, Dilbag Singh, K.C. Chandela, R.P. Bhatt, Akram Salmani, Block President Bhim Singh Bisht, Media Incharge Atul Handa, and many other workers.