Bengal defies Centre’s Awas funding block, says no ‘genuine beneficiaries to be deprived’

MP, 31 Oct 2024, Kolkata: Alapan Bandyopadhyay, chief advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday made it clear that no genuine beneficiaries will be excluded from the list of Awas Yojana and the state government will bear the entire cost of the rural housing in the backdrop of the Centre refusing to pay their share of funds for the project. 

This decision follows Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s directive to approach beneficiary selection for schemes like Awas Yojana with a humanitarian focus. She highlighted that, as no funds are forthcoming from the Centre, the state is not strictly bound by the Centre’s terms for the programme. 

Interestingly, the move could have significant implications for Bengal’s ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), as it gears up for the 2026 Assembly elections. 

The TMC has previously alleged that Opposition efforts, especially from the BJP, aim to obstruct initiatives benefiting the underprivileged, seemingly to penalise the people of Bengal following the saffron camp’s repeated electoral losses in the state. 

The BJP leadership, including PM Modi, had claimed to release funds for Awas Yojana in Bengal. Against this backdrop, the state administration clarified further that the entire expenditure for the scheme will be borne by the state government. 

Meanwhile, Bandyopadhyay’s Press briefing followed a meeting by the state Chief Secretary Manoj Pant with the district magistrates in virtual mode in the presence of senior administrative associated officials under the instructions of the Chief Minister in the wake of some sporadic incidents of agitation where people have cried foul that name(s) have been excluded from the Awas Yojana. Presently, the state government is undertaking a field-level survey based on a list of 11 lakh beneficiaries slated to get paid for the construction of houses. 

“A few lakh people are waiting for financial assistance to construct their houses. Their names already exist in the beneficiary list and rural housing is their right. However, with the Centre refusing to pay its share—60 per cent of the cost—the state decided to provide the entire amount from its exchequer. 

There may be cases when a person on the beneficiary list has already constructed a pucca house or may have gone elsewhere. So, we have undertaken a re-survey to ensure that not a single beneficiary is left out,“ Bandyopadhyay said. 

The names of the people who have been rendered destitute due to Cyclone Dana or inundation due to heavy rainfall and the release of a huge volume of water release from the DVC will also be included in the list. The genuine beneficiaries will get money in phases for pucca house construction. 

A total amount of Rs 1.20 lakh will be given to the beneficiaries in three phases. Bandyopadhyay told reporters at Nabanna that in the backdrop of the Centre depriving the state of funds associated with 100 days work, the state has provided jobs to 43 lakh rural workers under the Karmashree project this year and the total man-days generated has been 23 crores. 

The workers have an average of 54 days work. “We are also implementing the Pathashree (rural road) scheme with our own funds as the Centre has not released a penny. 25000 km rural roads have been constructed,” he added. 

According to sources, the state chief secretary has instructed concerned officials to further hold a survey of people who are crying foul over their omission of names from the list and reexamine their eligibility. If it is found that a name has been deleted for genuine reasons, the ground for such exclusion should be explained to him/ her. Pant made it clear that not a single genuine beneficiary should be left out. 

The re-survey exercise in connection with Awas started on November 21 and the state has announced that the first instalment of funds under the project should be credited to the beneficiaries’ bank account in December. 

The Chief Minister on earlier occasions had said that the state had no obligation to use the PM’s image as it has been carrying out several projects on its own without any help from the Centre. State once again emphasised that everyone would get a house signifying that the state has taken an all-inclusive approach. 

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh on Wednesday said: “Central Govt has not given a single Rupee in Awas (Yojana), in 100 days of work (scheme), on rural roads. Now under the Banglar Bari scheme, a completely State Government scheme, CM Mamata Banerjee has arranged facilities for the needy. In the first phase, there will be 11 lakh houses under the Banglar Bari scheme. 

This has no relation to the Central Govt Awas Yojana.” He further stated: “The Opposition, particularly the BJP, has made efforts to obstruct initiatives aimed at helping the underprivileged. 

They seem intent on punishing the people of Bengal following repeated electoral losses in our state. 

Now, as Mamata Banerjee pushes forward with the Banglar Bari project using only state funds—without any support from the Centre—they are attempting to tarnish the initiative’s image and sow confusion among the public...” 

Addressing the media, Bandyopadhyay appealed to the farmers who have suffered damage to their paddy cultivation due to the flood-like situation or effect of Cyclone Dana to register their names under the Bangla Shasya Bima scheme by November 30. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/bengal-defies-centres-awas-funding-block-says-no-genuine-beneficiaries-to-be-deprived-585212?infinitescroll=1