Deadline over, independent committee yet to complete in-depth investigation

Irregularities in PMAY-U implementation in ULBs, districts
Initial probe hints at benefits to ineligible persons

Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, Sept 14: A scam relating to implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) in various Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and districts of Kashmir division, which was brought to the fore by the CID Wing of J&K Police several months back, has remained unexposed at the level of Housing and Urban Development Department.
This is mainly because an independent committee comprising of four officers has failed to meet the timeline for completion of in-depth inquiry and submission of report to the Government for further necessary action. The delay on the part of the committee is notwithstanding the fact that initial probe in respect of capital city of Srinagar had revealed extension of benefits to ineligible persons.
The PMAY-U is the flagship mission of the Government of India being implemented by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to address housing shortage among the Economically Weaker Sections, Low Income Group and Middle Income Ground categories including the slum dwellers by ensuring concrete houses.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the CID Wing of the J&K Police submitted a report to the Housing and Urban Development Department of J&K Union Territory vide communication No. CID/SS/DI/2020/CS/398-99 dated March 11, 2020 regarding the scam in the garb of PMAY-U with particular reference to one Hakim Muzamil working as State Level Technical Consultation of PMAY-U.
On the basis of this report, the Housing and Urban Development Department appointed the then Managing Director of J&K Housing Board as Inquiry Officer to conduct enquiry in the implementation of PMAY-U vide Government Order No.148-HUD dated May 20, 2020.
The Inquiry Officer, in his report, mentioned that irregularities committed by State Level Technical Consultant while implementing PMAY-U performed duties and responsibilities which were not within his domain, sources said, adding the Inquiry Officer further reported that the inquiry has remained focused on Srinagar city while as the CID report has alleged that such a state of affairs prevails in the entire Kashmir valley.
Accordingly, the Inquiry Officer recommended a full-fledged probe by a committee to be headed by a Valley based senior officer who can look into the whole gamut of irregularities committed during the implementation of PMAY-Urban.
In view of the recommendations of the Inquiry Officer and keeping in view the other aspects of the issue, the Housing and Urban Development Department vide Order No.161 dated August 27, 2020 constituted an independent committee to look into the irregularities in the implementation of PMAY-U scheme in various Urban Local Bodies and districts of Kashmir division.
The independent committee comprising of Director, Urban Local Bodies Kashmir, Joint Commissioner Administration in Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Financial Advisor of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority and Executive Engineer of the ULB concerned was directed to submit its report within a period of 15 days positively to the Housing and Urban Development Department.
Though the deadline for submission of report is over yet the independent committee has not completed the in-depth inquiry, sources said while disclosing that the committee has informally conveyed to the Housing and Urban Development Department that much more time would be required to complete the assigned task.
“If the committee members were aware that it would not be possible for them to complete the inquiry within 15 days they should have asked for grant of more time through formal orders so as to ensure submission of report in a time bound manner”, sources said, adding “even the Housing and Urban Development Department should have kept in mind that a detailed exercise is required to be conducted by the committee before fixing the timeframe for submission of report”.
Due to this, the scam could not be exposed fully and the accused officials posted in the Urban Local Bodies have remained unpunished till date. “In a scam which relates to flagship mission of Government of India inquiry should be conducted as expeditiously as possible so that necessary action is taken against the guilty”, sources stressed.
The committee is required to inform the Housing and Urban Development Department whether eligible beneficiaries were sponsored and sanctioned for availing housing units under BLC component of PMAY-U in respect of all the districts of Kashmir division as per the verification list submitted through the concerned Deputy General Managers and uploaded on portal.
The mandate of the committee is to report irregularities vis-a-vis identification of beneficiaries, geo-tagging, uploading the data on PMAY-U portal etc as per the guidelines during the implementation of the scheme and verify stage-wise mode of payment made to the eligible beneficiaries on regular basis in the financial module developed by the Union Ministry.

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