Bengal govt has sought immediate release of PM Awas Yojana funds: Official

The Bengal government has written to the Centre demanding immediate release of funds under the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY), underlining that the state will fail to meet its March 31 deadline for building 11 lakh houses, if there is any further delay, a senior official said.

The letter, sent by the state on Monday, is a reply to the Union Ministry of Rural Development's 493-page communication, seeking details of expenses made as part of the scheme, the official said.

Notably, the BJP-led central government has been sending inspection teams to Bengal to examine the allegations of corruption in the implementation of PMAY.

The state, in the letter, has clarified that it has already answered all the queries of the Centre, and sought pending funds at the earliest.

"It has been mentioned in the letter that the state, despite severe financial crisis, has borned 40 per cent of expensed under the Awas Yojana scheme. The letter has also stated that it will not be possible to complete the work to build 11.5 lakh houses by March 31 if the funds are not released soon," the official said.

Under the scheme, the Centre bears 60 per cent of the cost, and the state 40 per cent.

The official claimed that the state government has borne Rs 4,800 crore, and the central government is yet to send its share of Rs 13,000 crore.

"As a result, work for the housing project has been put on hold. We have requested the Centre to send the money for the housing scheme at the earliest," he said.