Jaipur: Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) legislator Subhash Garg Wednesday raised the issue of housing for houseless families in Bharatpur in the Assembly, triggering a nearly 15-minute-long heated exchange between the Treasury and Opposition benches during Question Hour.Responding to a query, urban development and housing (UDH) minister Jhabar Singh Kharra said that nearly 80% of the houses sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Bharatpur were already completed. The debate, however, soon centred on the rules defining “houseless” families, with the Opposition accusing the minister of misinterpreting the term. The controversy began when Garg sought details on the number of houseless families in Bharatpur and the eligible beneficiaries under PMAY. Unhappy with the minister’s response, Garg insisted that the govt first disclose the number of houseless families instead of explaining eligibility conditions under the scheme. Repeated interruptions from both sides led to a prolonged verbal duel in the House. Defending the govt’s stand, Kharra sought to differentiate between “homeless” and “houseless” families, stating, “A family without land cannot be termed houseless. A person becomes houseless only when land is available. Those without land are homeless, while those who have land but no house are houseless.” He added that if details regarding landless families were required, a report could be obtained from the district collector and placed before the House. Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully intervened, saying the original question pertained specifically to “awash-hin” (houseless) families, but confusion arose when it was linked to the homeless policy. “The question is simple—when will those who do not have houses be given houses?” Jully said, alleging that the govt’s reply was incorrect. The repeated interruptions and sharp exchanges led to disorderly scenes in the House, underlining continued political friction between the ruling party and the Opposition over housing policy and welfare measures in Rajasthan.
