A woman from Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh has approached the police with a complaint that a house that she was entitled to get under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) has been "stolen", an official said on Tuesday.
Alleging irregularities in the scheme, the complainant said the house was built only on paper and not in reality, even though money was drawn in her name for its construction, police said.
Based on her complaint a probe was launched by the panchayat officials and a woman PMAY employee was terminated from the service for alleged embezzlement, the official said adding that two others were also under the scanner.
The woman filed a complaint in Pendra police station on December 2, urging the investigators to trace her house and take action against those behind its "theft".
"Fuljhariya Bai Bhariya, a resident of Adbhar village under Pendra Janpad Panchayat, along with her relatives filed the complaint stating that her house was stolen," Pendra Station House Officer Amit Patle said.
"She found that although the house was sanctioned to her under the PMAY, and was shown in the documents as already having been built with the funds released for the purpose, there was nothing on the ground," he added.
Following her complaint, the Bilaspur panchayat administration launched a probe in this regard and directed that the FIR be lodged against woman 'Awas Mitra', who looks after the work under the scheme at local level.
"As per her complaint, Bhariya was listed as a beneficiary under the PMAY scheme for 2018-19 and according to government document, her house was constructed. Total Rs 80,000 were drawn through cheques in two instalments in her name for the construction of the house," the SHO said.
The woman said in the complaint that she neither received the money nor the benefit of the house. She alleged that the house was only built on paper and not on the ground, he said.
She also alleged that the photo of the house which was shown in the document to withdraw money in her name, belong to some other woman of the village, he said.
"In the complaint, she alleged that computer operator of Janpad Panchayat Rajesh Gupta, block coordinator of the scheme Prakash Mahilange and Awas Mitra Draupati Kaivart were allegedly involved in the irregularity and demanded that a case of cheating be registered against them," the SHO said, adding that an inquiry was underway.
On Monday, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bilaspur Zila Panchayat Fariha Alam Siddhiqui, directed District Coordinator of PMAY Anand Pandey to probe the case.
Pandey said during the investigation, the charges levelled by Bhariya were found to be "true" and Awas Mitra Draupati also admitted to having committed the offence.
"Draupati had allegedly got the first instalment of Rs 35,000 in the name of Bhariya and deposited it into her own account. She later withdrew the second instalment of Rs 45,000 after showing the construction of house of another beneficiary of the village," Pandey said.
The total embezzled money of Rs 80,000 was recovered from Draupati and deposited into the bank account of the local panchayat, he said.
"Draupati has been terminated from service and Pendra Janpad Panchayat has been directed to lodge an FIR against her," he added.
According to Pandey, the role of Gupta and Mahilange was also being investigated and further action will be taken accordingly.
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