Central team on PMAY reaches Darjeeling

EOI, DARJEELING, JAN 18, 2023: A three-member Central team reached Darjeeling on Wednesday to review implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana (PMAY)scheme in the hills.

The team arrived in the morning and immediately left for Badamtam tea estate, about 26 km from Darjeeling town, to inquire and interact with the beneficiaries of the PMAY scheme.

The team refused to talk to news persons accompanying them for the duration of the visit. "We are not authorized to talk to the media. We are working and will visit areas as per the instruction of our higher authorities," said one of the members.

In the afternoon the team reached Newar Dhura and Naya Busty and interacted with four beneficiaries. As in Kolkata, opposition political parties in the hills, too, have voiced their dissent in the way the PMAY scheme was implemented. The hills unit of the BJP, especially, is not satisfied and has demanded an investigation. 

"Not only in PMAY, there is corruption even in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme," said a BJP leader, not wishing to come on record. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has condemned the Centre and the BJP for sending Central teams to five districts of the state to review the implementation of the PMAY and MGNREGS, saying it is politically motivated; with the intention of harassing Trinamool Congress leaders.

The visit of the Central team to the hills is significant as the panchayat polls are expected in February. The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha that heads the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration refrained from reacting to the visit of the Central team.

The Pul-Bijanbari Block Development Officer accompanied the Central team which is expected to visit the Kalimpong district on Thursday.