40% Names Deleted from House Allotment List under PMAY in 12 Districts of Bengal after Verification: Sources

More than 40 per cent of house allocations in 12 districts of West Bengal by the state government under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) have been cancelled after a verification drive, sources told News18.

A central team right now is on its second visit in Bengal, probing discrepancies in PMAY allotments, said sources in the union ministry of rural development.

There have been charges that a large number of people who have big bungalows made it to the list of 2018 as beneficiaries.

The districts where more than 40 per cent names have been deleted from the list are: Birbhum (almost 50%), West Bardhaman (49%), West Medinipur (47%), Murshidabad (46%), North Dinajpur (45%), South Dinajpur (44%), Purulia (44%), Jhargram (44%), Alipurduar (42%), East Bardhaman (42%), East Medinipur (42%), and Nadia (41%).

In total, according to the 2018 list, 53,86,483 people were registered for PMAY here, and 23,20,027 of the names have been deleted, which is 40 per cent. Now 33,66,456 eligible beneficiaries are registered, out of whom 11,36,488 will get houses in the first phase.

According to sources in the administration, the state government has taken up steps to ensure transparency. While a tussle is on between the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP, which is in power at the Centre, over the issue, many locals have been complaining that they are unable to get their homes.

Speaking to News18, union minister of state for education and Bankura MP Subhas Sarkar said, “So many complaints have come. So much corruption has taken place. Therefore it is essential to check and recheck everything, then go ahead. The central team has come to see all this.”

The TMC on the other hand says that the central government is playing politics at the behest of the BJP’s state leaders.

Trinamool spokesperson Riju Dutta said, “The central team is coming like migratory birds, and they are coming to disturb the panchayat polls. Whatever has been asked by the central government has been followed. Then why are they still not releasing money? Moreover, see the districts where more than 40 per cent deletion has taken place. Suvendu Adhikari was the observer there, so he has done it.”

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