Benefits under PMAY-G given to ineligible and deceased individuals: In Bihar, auditors discover

PATNA: During an audit exercise in ten districts of Bihar, it was discovered that benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) were being provided to deceased persons, installments were being paid to those who were not eligible for the scheme, and full assistance was being paid against non-existent houses, an official said on Saturday.

During the examination of the state’s execution of the rural housing project, teams of the accountant general (AG-Bihar) also noticed anomalies related to unrealistic geotagging of dwelling locations and payment of installments into incorrect accounts.

Secretary of the state’s Rural Development Department, N Saravana Kumar, has lately instructed all deputy development commissioners (DDCs) and concerned personnel to guarantee strict adherence to the Center’s instructions for implementing the program, based on the “performance audit” report.

“Officers responsible must ensure openness and strict adherence to the guidelines, under the ‘Framework for the Execution of the PMAY-G’, issued by the Centre’s Rural Development Ministry,” the letter stated.

“The advantages granted in the name of dead persons in particular instances in the state, irregular payment of payments to ineligible beneficiaries, unreal geo-tagging, and payment of installments in wrong accounts” are among the deviations in the PMAY-G’s implementation, according to the letter sent to DDCs.

A copy of the letter is available with PTI. “Auditors also observed non-preparation of comprehensive annual plans for action in certain areas, approvals granted in Gram Sabha meetings without a quorum, full assistance paid against non-existing PMAY-G houses,” the letter stated.

Bihar Rural Development Minister Sharvan Kumar commented on the inconsistencies noted by the auditors, stating that all of these were examples from the past.

“Anyone found engaging in such activities faces severe consequences from the department. The minister told PTI, “I have instructed the relevant officials to ensure strict adherence to the rules set for the implementation of PMAY-G in the state.

He added that there is “zero tolerance against corruption” in the Mahagathbandhan government, which is led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Regarding the PMAY-G program, the minister charged that the Center was disregarding Bihar’s plea.

“In Bihar, a large number of qualifying families are still awaiting housing. For the past three years, the Union government has not given the state new goals under the PMAY-G program,” he remarked.

According to Sharvan Kumar, the Center has not given Bihar or any other state any new targets for the years 2018–19, 2022–23, or 2023–24.

In two stages, the PMAY-G program aims to provide all eligible rural households with “pucca” dwellings that come equipped with all the necessities, including as electricity, water, and sanitary facilities.

The federal government and the state governments split the expense of a single unit 60:40.

Under the Integrated Action Plan, each unit in the plains receives Rs 1.20 lakh in assistance, while units in hilly and challenging districts and areas receive Rs 1.30 lakh.

In response to the minister’s accusation, prominent Bihar BJP figure Nikhil Anand stated to PTI, “The majority of the Center’s welfare schemes are not properly implemented in the state because the Bihar government is neck deep in corruption.”

In addition, he said that the state administration is “engaging in manipulation to present fake data about the central welfare schemes to the union government.”

“Those in state government are pilfering and diverting funds intended for central government initiatives. We denounce the Bihar administration for improperly carrying out PMAY-G and “Ayushman Bharat” initiatives in the state. The BJP leader continued, “The central agencies ought to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the disparities that the auditors found.

The Center’s flagship program, Ayushman Bharat, was introduced to achieve universal health coverage.