West Bengal CM asks 12,000 fake housing beneficiaries to refund money
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said legal action will be taken against those who allegedly obtained housing aid fraudulently.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said that 12,000 individuals who allegedly received fraudulent housing assistance under the previous TMC regime would be identified and face legal action. According to The Hindu, Adhikari stated that 1,000 people have already returned the funds.
The Chief Minister noted that Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal, 57, reported 57,000 illegal applicants had been delisted from the Banglar Bari project. Adhikari has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a retired judge to investigate alleged institutional corruption from the previous administration.
Adhikari said a CID probe would also be launched to identify officials who helped these beneficiaries obtain money. He accused the previous TMC government of politicising rural housing schemes and making false claims regarding the disbursement of funds.
The Chief Minister mentioned that 7,171 more rural beneficiaries will receive aid in the second phase of the revamped Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana. This will bring the total government expenditure on the project to Rs 4,200 crore.
Regarding other schemes, Adhikari said the state has received 1.1 lakh units under the PM Surya Ghar solar panel scheme. He also noted that 1.65 crore women have benefited from the Annapurna Yojana.
Adhikari said around 8,000 panchayat department employees would be recruited, pending cabinet approval. He added that the verification process for OBC beneficiaries is expected to finish by December 1.