‘Identify delays’: Chief Secretary takes stock of work done under ‘Banglar Bari’ scheme
Kolkata: Chief Secretary Manoj Pant on Monday conducted a meeting in connection with Banglar Bari scheme in the backdrop of 72 per cent of the total beneficiaries having constructed their houses upto the lintel level even after receiving their first installment under the scheme.
Nabanna sources said, Pant has instructed the Panchayats and Rural Development (P&RD) department to identify the cause behind construction delay and encourage them to do the needful. He called for making field level officials more proactive in door to door visits and taking measures to expedite construction work.
As per report of the P&RD department, 8,65164 out of 12 lakh beneficiaries have constructed their houses till lintel level. About 12442 persons have neither procured material nor started construction, accounting for 1.04 per cent of the total beneficiaries.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had officially marked the release of second installment funds. As per rules, a person is entitled to get the second installment after the construction upto the lintel level is completed.
South 24-Parganas is the worst performer where 50.19 per cent of the houses were constructed upto lintel level. About 3158 beneficiaries have not even procured construction material. Only 82073 out of 163539 recipients constructed their houses till lintel level.
South Dinajpur and Cooch Behar are in the second and third position in terms of bad performance with 62.75 and 66.96 percent houses respectively being constructed upto lintel. In South Dinajpur, out of 40043 beneficiaries, 25127 houses were constructed while in Cooch Behar, out of 113741 beneficiaries, 76163 houses have been constructed till lintel.
The total funds under Banglar Bari scheme is Rs 1.20 lakh in two installments of Rs 60000 each.
State P&RD minister Pradip Mazumdar said: “We have already disbursed second installment funds for 8 lakh beneficiaries. This is expected to motivate ones delaying construction.”