Delay in PM Modi government’s flagship rural housing scheme to invite penalty

Pulling up States for the delay in completion of Narendra Modi authorities’s flagship rural family scheme — Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin)— the Union Ministry of Rural Improvement has give you a set of penalties that the State governments must bear for any additional delay. Opposition-ruled West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha together with BJP-ruled Assam are the main 4 laggard States who’re far behind their targets.

That is the primary time, for the reason that scheme began in April 2016 with a goal of establishing 2.95 crore homes, that the Union Authorities has launched a penalty clause. Below the scheme, the federal government has set itself a goal of two.95 crore homes. This quantity was deduced from the Socio-Financial Caste Survey, 2011.

The preliminary deadline for the scheme was March 2022, which owing to the COVID pandemic was prolonged by one other two years until March 2024. As per the statistics accessible with the Union Ministry of Rural Improvement, until August 2022, 2.02 crore homes have been constructed.

On September 13, the Ministry has despatched a round to all State governments itemizing out six penalty clauses. If the sanction of the home is delayed for a couple of month from the date of problem of the goal, the State authorities can be penalised ₹10 per home for the primary month of delay and ₹20 per home for every subsequent month of delay. Equally, if the primary instalment because of the beneficiary is delayed for greater than seven days from the date of sanction, then the State governments must pay ₹10 per home per week of delay. The round has specified that no penalty can be imposed if the central funds will not be accessible with the State.

“The order is just to make sure that the States pay extra consideration to the programme. Due to the COVID pandemic, we’ve got already missed one deadline and now we’ve got solely 19 months until March 2024 to finish all of the pending homes,” a senior official on the Ministry mentioned.

Out of the remaining 93 lakh homes, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal are the most important offenders. The Union Authorities is but to launch funds for 12 lakh homes in Chhattisgarh and 11 lakh homes in West Bengal. Funds to each these States for this monetary 12 months was withheld for varied lapses.

In case of West Bengal, after complaints from the BJP MPs from the State in opposition to the Mamata Banerjee authorities’s transfer to repackage the scheme as “Bangla Awas Yojana” and different procedural gaps, the Union Authorities had withheld funds as a consequence of pending response from the State authorities. In response to sources, the West Bengal authorities lately has answered all of the questions raised by the Union Ministry. The choice to launch the funds now lies with Union Minister Giriraj Singh.

In case of Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh, the funds had been withheld by the Union Authorities on State authorities’s failure of placing of their share of the contribution. The full expenditure is shared by the Centre and the State on the charge of 40-60% for almost all of the States. Sources within the Sate authorities mentioned that the State has lately paid up its share and is awaiting the Union Authorities’s share to start work on its pending goal.

Amongst different States, Assam has not sanctioned seven lakh homes and Odisha has not sanctioned 9 lakh homes. Maharashtra with 2.5 lakh homes and Bihar with two lakh homes are additionally amongst prime offenders.