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 house construction under the Banglar Awaas Yojana (BAY).

Residents of places such as Sonaijuri, Manbazar (Purulia), Andal (West Burdwan), Goghat (Hooghly), Patharpratima (South 24 Parganas) and Rampurhat (Birbhum) staged protests alleging that deserving beneficiaries had been abandoned to include those associated with the local Trinamool power. Leaders of Congress (TMC). The protests erupted days before by-elections for six Assembly seats next month.

Protesters closed the panchayat office in Sonaijuri on Tuesday. In Goghat, villagers staged a protest outside the house of a local TMC leader. Residents protested in Patharpratima when authorities visited for a door-to-door check.

Jahanara Mir, a resident of Raydighi in South 24 Parganas, said the names of those who already owned concrete houses were included in the list of beneficiaries as they have connections with local TMC leaders. “Local TMC leaders are mostly corrupt. I called Didi ke Bolo (a platform to complain directly to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee).

Bharati Das, a resident of Andal, said she really needed a house but was deprived of one. “…the names of those who do not need another house and who own large plots of agricultural land are included simply because they are close to local leaders,” she said. Das added that the walls of his hut were collapsing. “One day I will be killed with my children when the mud walls collapse. »

In 2022, similar allegations surfaced against local TMC leaders. A subsequent investigation revealed that people, including family members of local TMC leaders and people linked to panchayat leaders, had received funds to build houses despite owning houses and land agricultural. The protests prompted the TMC to initiate disciplinary action against its district and panchayat leaders.

The Union government has sent more than a dozen teams in 2022 following allegations of irregularities in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). It stopped funds released to the state under PMAY in November 2022 due to alleged irregularities.

In February, Banerjee announced that her government would build 1.1 million houses for the poor if the Union government does not clear dues under PMAY by April 1. The list of beneficiaries was prepared earlier this month and the door-to-door verification process began last year. week.

Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari said the list was full of errors. “It has become a huge deal for some of the TMC leaders. They have an opportunity…Earlier, the Center had stopped the funds under the 100-day work programme. TMC leaders now have a new opportunity. Why should they leave this?

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the Union government has stopped funds and is favoring West Bengal. “The Mamata Banerjee government is releasing money to build houses for the poor. This is why obstacles are created.

A government official said that a person owning a concrete house, a motorized three or four wheeler, three or four wheeler mechanized agricultural equipment, family members, who are government employees or who earn more than ₹15,000 per month, owning 2.5 acres of irrigated land is not eligible to get funds under BAY.

People aware of the matter said Banerjee held a closed-door meeting with ministers Pradip Mazumdar and Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay at the state secretariat on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

An official of the panchayat department said they had issued a directive to the district magistrates for re-verification of rejected candidates. “Due to some misunderstandings and misinterpretations, unwanted rejection of deserving households may have occurred. The sole purpose of the survey is not to deprive a single eligible household.