State to issue unique ID cards to Awas Yojana beneficiaries

Kolkata: The state government has planned to issue unique identity cards to the beneficiaries of the Awas Yojana scheme to check irregularities in the inclusion of names and misappropriation of public funds.

The district administrations are already conducting special camps at the Panchayat level and examining the documents of the beneficiaries to check for irregularities. Once these are completed and the local officers give a green signal, the state government will start disbursing funds. It was earlier stated that the state will start disbursing funds to the beneficiaries from December 15.

The initiative aims to ensure full transparency in the selection of beneficiaries. After allegations of irregularities in the inclusion of names of beneficiaries surfacing from certain places, the Panchayat department had initiated a “super checking” to publish the final list of the beneficiaries which will be put on display in the BDO offices in the districts.

State Panchayat minister Pradip Mazumdar had earlier said that “super checking” was going on and people could register their grievances. The state government has been working with the people deprived by the Centre. A new list will be published, he had said.

Checking is being done at the block level. Protests had erupted in different parts of Bengal over allegations of exclusion of names of beneficiaries in Banglar Awas Yojana, a scheme providing housing for the rural poor. Protests had surfaced in parts of South 24-Parganas, Purulia, Birbhum and West Midnapore even in October 2024.

Sources said that the unique identity card will help the government ensure funds given against one’s bank account does not get transferred to another person’s account. The verification of beneficiary accounts is being carried out. Ones whose mobile numbers are not connected with their Aadhaar will have to undergo biometric registration. These beneficiaries will have to provide the photocopies of pass books and a cancelled cheque.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently instructed that the beneficiaries for the Awas Yojana should be determined with a humanitarian outlook and not based on stringent norms of the Central government.