Calcutta High Court orders corruption investigation in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana

A division bench of the Calcutta High Court has ordered a district judge to investigate the matter of corruption in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

While hearing a PIL alleging corruption in the name of a project in South 24 Parganas district, the Supreme Court directed the District Collector of South 24 Parganas to conduct an inquiry and submit a report.

The report will have to be submitted to the court within six weeks. The order was issued by Calcutta High Court Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam.

Notably, opposition parties in the state have been citing irregularities in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in the state. Following the complaint, the Union Ministry of Rural Development sent a team to the state to review the situation. Based on his report, the Union Ministry of Rural Development also admitted that there were irregularities in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in the state.

A Public Interest Litigation was filed in the Calcutta High Court over corruption in Prime Minister Awas Yojana. In Tuesday's hearing, the petitioner told the court that the genuine beneficiaries are being denied the benefits of the housing scheme, but those coming under the scheme have been allocated money in his name.

In addition, in many cases funds were allocated but did not reach the money. Money goes to multiple accounts of one person. The houses were assigned to the names of people from other areas.

The petitioner states that there are several irregularities in the list of beneficiaries of the housing fund in the district. After that, a bench of the Calcutta High Court directed the District Collector of South 24 Parganas to investigate the complaint and submit a report.