PMAY scheme: Another central field inspection team to visit Bengal

The Union Ministry of Rural Development forwarded a communique to the West Bengal state secretariat on Wednesday, intimating the latter that a 10-member field inspection team to review allegations of irregularities in Prime Minister Ayas Yojana (PMAY) scheme.

The team will carry out a detailed survey in the nine districts of East Midnapore, West Midnapore, East Burdwan, Nadia, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas, Malda, Alupurduar and Kalimpong.

The communique reached the state secretariat on the same day of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee starting a two-day sit-in demonstration in Kolkata in protest against the non release of Central funds under different schemes to the state government.

Previously, the Union government had sent field inspection teams to review allegations of irregularities under various centrally-sponsored schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), PMAY and Mid-Day meal schemes.

According to sources from the state secretariat, the West Bengal government recently sent an action taken report to the Centre detailing the steps taken by the state administration to remove irregularities if any in allotment under the PMAY scheme.

"In all probability, the fresh central field inspection team is coming to the state to tally the contents of the action taken report with their own experiences in the course of inspection," a senior official of the state government said.

Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition in West Bengal claimed on Wednesday that in all probability the Centre will not release funds, including that of 100- day job scheme under NREGA during the financial year 2023-24 in wake of massive irregularities.

The Trinamool Congress leadership have claimed that the leader of the opposition is actually acting against the common people of the state by influencing the Union government to stop dues to the state.

--IANS

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