PMAY-G: ‘Poverty-stricken’ TMC leaders beneficiaries of Awas Yojana, report shows deep-rooted corruption

The ineligible seem to be the most eligible in West Bengal for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin. A few of them own two-storey houses to multiple plots of land but to have a chunk of benefit from the government, even huts have been installed to showcase poverty. These poverty-stricken people are TMC leaders who have been unveiled after a media report and protest follows.

PMAY-G: In the last fifteen years, India has shown a steep decline from 55.1 per cent to 16.4 per cent, according to the report by Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2022. Despite the “tremendous gain and a historic change”, India still continues to have the largest number of poor people worldwide at 228.9 million, said the United Nations Development Programme in 2020.

To provide relief and shelter to the needy, the central government started a housing scheme i.e. Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana– Gramin (PMAY-G).  It is a flagship programme that aims to provide shelter to the unprivileged.

Under the scheme launched in 2015, the Central government allotted huge funds to build affordable concrete houses by 2024 in urban and rural areas, with the state and the Centre sharing expenses at a 60:40 ratio.

Despite the efforts, in West Bengal, the allegations of irregularities, lack of transparency, and accountability have emerged after ineligible names allegedly appeared on the list of PMAY-G applicants ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections in the state.

Allegations of Irregularities & Lack of transparency

Ahead of the allegations of large-scale deletion from the PMAY-G list, several investigations were held by the media.

According to a media report, the list of irregularities goes on and on as several houses didn’t qualify in the eligibility criteria for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin under which those with pakka houses cannot apply.

Not even one has qualified for the scheme’s inclusion conditions of poverty, the report said.

It is reported that many of the house owners are linked to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal. The latest development has been figured on official lists prepared by the local administration as potential beneficiaries of PMAY-G.

Speaking to the media, a source said that no funds have been disbursed. However, it had not been for a string of protests at the local level. He also said that the money could have been set to stage for them to become actual beneficiaries.

Taking notes from the situation, CPI (M) district secretariat member from Purba Bardhaman, Apurba Chatterjee said, “The key approvals are done at the district level and so it’s easy for local staff in collusion with the homeowners to use funds to build extensions under the PMAY-G.”

TMC vs Centre

Ahead of the new development about the link of the TMC government, a tussle has prevailed between the party and BJP-ruled Centre. The ruckus has sparked hearted protest alleging bias in a favor of members of West Bengal’s ruling party.

Due to the lack of transparency, the Centre paused the PMAY-G in the state for almost eight months, last year. While following the implementation framework, it said that it has allocated Rs 8,200 crore for 11,36,488 PMAY-G houses with a reminder in November.

The PMAY-G has also led to a political tussle with the TMC saying that it is being unfairly targeted by the BJP-led Central Government. Also, TMC claimed that the father of BJP leader and Central Minister Nishit Pramanik has also been identified as a potential beneficiary of the scheme in the Cooch Behar district of Bengal.

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While slamming the TMC party, Mr. Pramanik claimed that the name was added as a part of a political conspiracy.

According to the report, being identified as eligible for the scheme is only the first step in a long process that involves multiple checks at the state and Central levels before the money is transferred to the bank accounts.

Several districts of West Bengal including Purba Bardhaman, North 24 Parganas, and South Parganas have witnessed massive protests by local residents over the scheme.

A complainant recently wrote to the panchayet secretary of the state, alleging that most of the names enlisted for PM Awas Yojana in Narayani Tala Gram Panchayat in their district have been selected despite their ineligibility to pass the need-based parameters. The complainant further claimed that the local panchayat chief and the block development officer shared a hands-on-gloves relationship and “approved the names in favour of their own henchmen.”

The complainant also submitted a list of names allegedly enlisted illegally and claimed that most of them either have their own two-storied building or lived on tenant property, which violates the guidelines issued by the Central government for PM Awas Yojana.

This loophole will certainly leave many-many red-faced, meanwhile, it has given an opportunity to see BJP vs TMC once again on grounds.