Calcutta High Court prods Bengal govt on PMAY funds

 HC says state should in an affidavit submit information on funds it received from Centre under the scheme

Calcutta High Court.: File picture

Tapas Ghosh   |   TT  |  Calcutta   |  04.01.23  :  A Calcutta High Court division bench headed by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava on Tuesday directed the state government to file an affidavit by January 14 with details on the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Bengal.

The court said the state should in the affidavit submit information on the total amount of funds it received from the Centre under the scheme and how the money was distributed among legitimate beneficiaries to build their homes.

The order followed a PIL filed by a BJP activist alleging that the state failed to distribute the funds among the poor and accused Trinamul leaders of corruption. The petitioner sought an order restraining the state from distributing money.

The petition was filed in the high court in the backdrop of protests across Bengal over alleged large-scale corruption in the making of lists of PMAY beneficiaries.

Forced on the backfoot following protests taking a political turn and the panchayat polls coming up, the state panchayat department formed a nine-member task force to monitor the situation.

Bankura police last month arrested two persons for taking part in an hour-long agitation against surveyors who omitted their names from the beneficiary list on grounds of ineligibility.

Suvendu case

Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday issued an order restraining the state government from taking any action against the leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.

Justice Mantha earlier stayed action against Adhikari on the basis of 27 FIRs filed against the BJP MLA at various police stations in Bengal.

Tuesday’s order was passed based on a petition filed by Adhikari seeking a stay on proceedings drawn against him by Contai police in East Midnapore.

The police drew up charges against Adhikari based on complaints that the BJP MLA was involved in irregularities related to relief materials of Contai Municipality. The case will be heard on January 14. Police were restrained from taking any coercive measures against Adhikari.