The Ministry of Rural Development has decided to conduct a state-wise survey, especially in the opposition-ruled states of Odisha, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh concerning the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Scheme which pledges to provide pucca houses by the year 2024. This is after the Ministry found massive irregularities in the implementation of the scheme within the states.
According to the reports, the Ministry found that around 60 percent of the bank accounts of the beneficiaries had been changed indicating that the money transferred to the direct bank accounts of the beneficiaries, never reached their hands.
Rural development minister Giriraj Singh spoke to Economic Times about the incident and said that the matter was first flagged by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after he received several complaints from the state of Odisha. “We have found that people who were identified as beneficiaries did not get the benefit. Their bank account numbers were changed fraudulently and instead, ineligible people got money to build homes under PMAY in Odisha”, he was quoted.
He added that about 37% of cyclone-affected victims are yet to get houses. Speaking to the media, he cleared that after the necessary requirements are met and details are given by state ministers, the central ministry will release the pending amount.
"There have been massive irregularities in implementation of PMAY in #Odisha. There's no transparency in allocation of PMAY houses in the state. Actual beneficiaries deprived. 37% of cyclone-hit victims yet to get houses”:- Union Minister Giriraj Singhhttps://t.co/RVrdqCEcMU pic.twitter.com/0QDzqjLwTI
— OTV (@otvnews) August 11, 2022
The Minister further stated that the concerned states of Odisha, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh had flouted the rules of the PMAY scheme. “The ministry has now decided to conduct a state-wise review of the implementation of the scheme to gauge the extent of irregularities and siphoning off of funds”, he added. He also stated that the states have changed the names and logos of the PMAY scheme and are passing off the central schemes as state schemes.
Reports mention that the ministry has now asked the state to identify the ineligible recipients. According to ministry figures, 1.83 million houses have been approved under PMAY (Rural) in Odisha, with 1.69 million completed so far. The ministry has now instructed the state to complete 1.26 lakh houses over the next 12 months. It has also urged the Odisha government to construct residences that have been delayed for over a year within three months.
PMAY is based on a 60:40 formula, with the Centre providing 60% of the funding. The Congress-ruled state of Chhattisgarh has been unable to contribute its share of 40% under the program, causing the benefit of the Centre’s flagship scheme to be delayed for impoverished people, as per an ET report.
