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Banglar Awaas Yojana: Re-verification of beneficiaries ordered amid protests
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said obstacles were being created as the state government released money to build houses for the poor after the Centre stopped funds
The West Bengal government has ordered a re-verification of the list of beneficiaries following protests over allegations of corruption and nepotism in financial assistance for the construction of houses under the Banglar Awaas Yojana (BAY).
Residents in places such as Sonaijuri, Manbazar (Purulia), Andal (West Burdwan), Goghat (Hooghly), Patharpratima (South 24 Parganas), and Rampurhat (Birbhum) staged protests alleging deserving beneficiaries were dropped to include those associated with local ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders. The protests erupted days before by-elections to six assembly seats next month.
Protesters locked the panchayat office at Sonaijuri on Tuesday. In Goghat, villagers held a demonstration outside a local TMC leader’s house. Locals protested in Patharpratima when officials went for a house-to-house verification.
Jahanara Mir, a resident of Raydighi in South 24 Parganas, said the names of those who already having concrete houses were included on the list of beneficiaries as they have links with the local TMC leaders. “The local TMC leaders are mostly corrupt. I called up Didi ke Bolo [a platform for complaints directly to chief minister Mamata Banerjee].”
Bharati Das, a resident of Andal, said she genuinely needed a house but was being deprived of it. “...names of those who have no need of another house and have large plots of agricultural lands are being included just because they are close to local leaders,” she said. Das added the walls of her hut were crumbling. “Someday I will get killed with my children when the mud walls collapse.”
In 2022, similar allegations surfaced against local TMC leaders. A scrutiny that followed found people, including family members of local TMC leaders and those linked with panchayat leaders, received funds to build houses despite having houses and agricultural land. Protests prompted the TMC to initiate disciplinary actions against its district and panchayat leaders.
The Union government sent over a dozen teams in 2022 following the allegations of irregularities in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). It stopped funds to the state under the PMAY in November 2022 over the alleged irregularities.
In February, Banerjee announced her government would build 1.1 million houses for the poor if the Union government does not clear the dues under PMAY by April 1. The list of beneficiaries was prepared earlier this month and the house-to-house verification process started last week.
Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari claimed the list was full of errors. “This has become a huge business for a section of TMC leaders. They have got an opportunity... Earlier, the Centre stopped funds under the 100-day work scheme. Now the TMC leaders have got an opportunity again. Why should they leave this?”
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the Union government stopped funds and was depriving West Bengal. “The Mamata Banerjee government is releasing money to build houses for the poor. That is why the obstacles are being created.”
A government official said a person with a concrete house, a motorised three or four-wheeler, a mechanised three or four-wheeler agricultural equipment, family members, who are a government employee, or earning more than ₹15000 per month, own 2.5 acres of irrigated land are not entitled to get funds under the BAY.
People aware of the matter said Banerjee held a closed-door meeting with ministers Pradip Mazumdar and Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay on Tuesday at the state secretariat to discuss the issue.
A panchayat department official said they have issued a directive to the district magistrates for re-verification of the rejected applicants. “Due to some misunderstanding and misinterpretation, undesired rejection of deserving households may have happened. The sole objective of the survey is not to deprive a single eligible household.”
