This is an archive article published on February 15, 2024
Centre: State govt had accepted anomalies in PMAY implementation
During a dharna against the BJP-led Centre for allegedly blocking state funds in January, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that her government would be paying dues under the PMAY from its coffers.
Written by Atri Mitra
Kolkata | Updated: February 15, 2024 08:59 AM IST
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Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
Weeks after Union and state government officials met in New Delhi to discuss West Bengal’s pending funds, the Centre reminded the Mamata Banerjee-led government that the latter had accepted that “irregularities have been observed in the past” in the implementation of the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY).
During a dharna against the BJP-led Centre for allegedly blocking state funds in January, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that her government would be paying dues under the PMAY from its coffers.
The note sheet, which was sent by the Union Ministry of Rural Development on February 9, stated that the Centre had allocated a target of 11.36 lakh houses from finalised lists in November 2022 for the state.
“Thereafter, it (Centre) was informed that following issues were still persisting in the state: renaming of scheme as Bangla Awaas Yojana, sanction of houses to ineligible households, deletion of names of eligible households, and irregularities reported in the news articles/ media reports.”
The letter also claimed the ministry has already released central funds for the targets.
“However, due to the above cited issues, the central share of funds for targets from finalised Awaas lists were not released to the state,” it further stated.
“The state government reiterated that they have given an undertaking from their Chief Secretary to the Ministry of Finance for implementation of centrally sponsored schemes without any alteration, for claiming special central assistance for projects. Hence, the state is committed to implement the schemes, including PMAY-G in a rule-bound and transparent manner. The state government accepted that irregularities have been observed in the past, however, the state is committed to take corrective action and ensure that irregularities are not repeated in future,” the note sheet added.
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A senior state government official said, “We are hopeful after the Ministry of Rural Development sent us the minutes of the meeting. That means it has set the ball rolling. However, we are still in the dark over when the central government will release our pending funds.”
Last year, Banerjee had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to discuss pending funds for the state under various centrally-sponsored schemes. On January 23, six officials of the Bengal government had met Union government officers in the nation capital to talk about early release of the funds to the state.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
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