Jamui/Patna : An irregularity involving the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) has come to light in Bihar’s Jamui district, where six families in Chakai block were found to have received housing assistance in both Bihar and Jharkhand.
According to the administration, the families received benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana (PMAY-G) in Chakai and also received assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) in Deoghar, Jharkhand.
Following the discovery, the administration has initiated the process of recovering the government funds received by the beneficiaries.
National Monitoring Team Detects Cases
The cases came to light during an investigation conducted by the PM Awas Yojana’s National Monitoring Team across the country.
Following the findings, instructions were issued to recover the full amount paid under the scheme from the concerned beneficiaries.
Chakai Block Development Officer Manish Anand subsequently issued a letter on September 18 directing housing assistants in the six concerned panchayats to speed up the recovery process and deposit the recovered amount into the state government account.
Six Beneficiaries Identified
The beneficiaries identified during the verification are:
- Vinod Rai of Chandramandih panchayat
- Sugiya Devi of Madhopur
- Sanjha Devi of Dadhwa
- Radha Devi of Kalyanpur
- Prabha Devi of Ramsinghdih
- Rajendra Ram of Kiyajori panchayat
According to the department, all six had received housing assistance in Chakai under the rural housing scheme and were also found to have benefited from the urban housing scheme in Deoghar.
Only Rs 45,000 Recovered So Far
Despite directions to begin recovery, the administration has so far recovered Rs 45,000 from only one beneficiary.
Recovery from the remaining five beneficiaries is still pending.
Officials have directed the concerned housing assistants to serve notices to all six beneficiaries and ensure that the government funds are deposited.
Certificate Cases Planned If Money Is Not Returned
The administration has warned that further legal recovery proceedings will be initiated if beneficiaries fail to return the money despite receiving notices.
According to the BDO, beneficiaries will initially be served notices. If the amount is not deposited even after three notices, a certificate case will be initiated for recovery.
The administration is using a list provided at the state level containing details of beneficiaries who have reportedly received PMAY benefits in more than one state.
Questions Over Verification and Digital Monitoring
The cases have also raised questions about the effectiveness of beneficiary verification and monitoring under the housing scheme.
PMAY records are linked with details such as beneficiaries’ Aadhaar information, bank accounts and scheme-related data. The discovery of beneficiaries receiving assistance under housing schemes in two states has therefore raised questions about why the duplication was not detected earlier.
The administration is now focusing not only on recovering the funds but also on examining how the beneficiaries were able to receive assistance under schemes in both states.
Recovery Process Underway
The Chakai administration has directed officials to complete the recovery process and ensure that the government funds are deposited into the appropriate account.
The case highlights the importance of cross-state verification and effective monitoring of welfare schemes to prevent duplication of benefits and ensure that government assistance reaches eligible beneficiaries.
