Awas Yojana: Centre seeks ‘action taken report’ from state

Kolkata: The Centre has written to the Bengal government seeking an action taken report (ATR) in regard to PM Awas Yojana by November 30. It has also explained how they have stopped providing funds to Bengal under Awas Yojana scheme.

The Ministry of Rural Development has written to the state Panchayat and Rural Development department seeking some clarifications on some alleged irregularities in connection with the fund distribution under Awas Yojana in some districts. The Centre earlier had also sought an action taken report in this regard. The state Panchayat and Rural Development department will send its reply yet another time to the Centre furnishing all the details, sources said.

“It is informed that the senior officers’ team had found deficiencies in the ATR submitted by the state government in three districts namely, Nadia, Kalimpong and South 24-Parganas... The state government is, accordingly, requested to share the ATR within 15 days of the date of letter to this ministry i.e. by 30th November, 2023,” reads the letter.

“Further the team found that the name of the scheme is being changed by state government officials in their communications, which was also observed by the NLM (national level monitoring) team,”

reads the letter.

The ruling Trinamool Congress has raised its protest against the Centre in this regard several times in the past. Trinamool leaders have alleged that since December 2021, Bengal has been denied Rs 7,500 crore in MGNREGS payments. Out of this, Rs 2,800 crores relates to wage payments. But it has been held in abeyance.

As a result, 17 lakh families are suffering for over a year. Trinamool alleged that the Centre is meting out step-motherly treatment to Bengal as the BJP failed to win the Bengal assembly poll in 2021. “The BJP government at the Centre has ruthlessly withheld Rs 15,000 crore due to Bengal under the MGNREGA and Awas Yojana,” Trinamool alleged.