The Statesman - Fraud of the Decade in Indira Awas Jojana

The Statesman
Statesman News Service
KENDRAPARA, Feb. 8: Skeletons are tumbling out of the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) housing scheme closet. Official sources informed that the fraud, which is being described as the ‘scam of the decade’ amounted to over Rs 3 crore.
Findings into the matter unfold that an estimated Rs 3 crore, which should have reached the 'below poverty line' (BPL ) families for construction of house in this district were embezzled. “ 1292 cases of irregular allotment of IAY houses have so far been detected. In most of the cases, ghost beneficiaries were awarded grants and those not eligible for receiving such grants were also given IAY allotments. There is incriminating material evidence against block level officials. We have initiated penal proceedings against two officers and eight other government employees.”, Mr. Kashinath Sahu, collector, Kendrapara said.
Charges have been framed against two OAS officers~Durga Charan Mohanty and Gopendra Nath Mohanty as prima facie has been established against them.
"Eight other government employees have also been either suspended or proceeded against for acts of omission and commission.", official sources said. With this incident coming to light the charges levelled by the Opposition that IAY housing grants did not reach the targeted poor and instead filled the coffers of unscrupulous officials and politicians, have come true.
The rulebook may say that the center-funded IAY scheme is earmarked for BPL families. But in several blocks of Kendrapara district, the standing norms were twisted with families of even state government officials allegedly finding a place in the list of beneficiaries.