West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has ordered a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into alleged irregularities within the state's rural housing scheme. During a press conference at the state secretariat, Nabanna, on Friday, the Chief Minister announced that thousands of individuals who received financial assistance under the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) administration were ineligible for the support.
According to Mr. Adhikari, a verification exercise revealed that 57,000 fake beneficiaries had applied for the project, formerly known as Banglar Bari. Of this group, approximately 12,000 people received funds despite failing to meet the eligibility criteria. While 1,000 recipients have already returned the money, the Chief Minister has issued a deadline of November 30 for the remaining 11,000 to return the funds, warning that they will otherwise face legal action.
The administration also intends to investigate government officials allegedly involved in facilitating these fraudulent payments. Mr. Adhikari indicated that an investigation, potentially led by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or the CID, will examine instances where funds were reportedly diverted through bank accounts opened in the names of deceased or relocated individuals. He stated that departmental action would be taken against officials identified as colluding in these irregularities.
The announcement coincided with the disbursement of the second installment of financial assistance under the current Paschim Banga Awas Yojana. Mr. Adhikari released ₹60,000 each to over 7.17 lakh beneficiaries. While reports from Livemint and The Hindu varied slightly regarding the total number of beneficiaries for this latest installment—citing seven lakh and 7.17 lakh respectively—both sources confirmed that the government transferred over ₹4,000 crore in this phase to assist residents in completing house construction.
Key facts
- The state government identified 57,000 fake applications linked to the previous administration's Banglar Bari project.
- 12,000 ineligible individuals received housing funds, with 1,000 having already returned the money.
- The remaining 11,000 beneficiaries must return the funds by November 30 to avoid legal consequences.
- On November 13, the government disbursed the second installment of housing assistance to over 7.17 lakh beneficiaries.
- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced plans for a CID investigation into both the beneficiaries and colluding officials.
Why it matters
The state government intends to integrate the housing scheme with other initiatives to provide additional support to rural residents. This includes ₹12,000 per household for toilet construction under the Swachh Bharat Mission and employment-linked assistance of ₹30,000. Additionally, district officials have been directed to link beneficiaries with the PM Surya Ghar rooftop solar scheme, which offers subsidies of up to ₹78,000, complemented by an extra ₹15,000 in state assistance for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe households.
Background
The rural housing program was previously branded as the Banglar Bari scheme under the TMC government before being renamed the Paschim Banga Awas Yojana by the current administration.
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