India News | Central Teams in Bengal to Look into Allegations of Irregularities in PMAY; TMC-BJP Lock Horns

Kolkata, Jan 7 (PTI) A central team, looking into allegations of irregularities in the allotment of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in West Bengal, Saturday visited some villages in Malda district, amidst a slugfest between rivals TMC and BJP.

While a senior BJP leader claimed that another central team will visit 15 districts of the state next week, the TMC wondered whether the central government had turned into an arm of the saffron party's Bengal unit.

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The three-member team spoke to residents of Kamarpur and Charianantapur villages in Kaliachak-II block who had earlier complained they hadn't been allotted houses under the PMAY scheme despite applications.

Another team went around villages in Purba Medinipur district, the official said.

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Speaking on the developments, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said another central team will tour 15 districts of the state next week.

"They ( central team) will visit every block, they will go from house to house. They will scrutinise the audits and expenses and identify the wrongdoers," Adhikari told a public rally at Chandipur in Purba Medinipur district.

“Mark my words - every corrupt leader will be jailed. He or she will have to return the entire looted amount meant for the poor,” he said, adding that he is “keeping a tab on everything.”

Reacting to Adhikari's claims, TMC's Tapas Roy, Deputy Chief Whip in the assembly, said the BJP leader habitually issued such “threats” to a democratically elected government.

“Has Adhikari got the right (‘adhikar') to say such things? Roy asked.

“It appears from Adhikari's utterances that he is speaking in the capacity of a Union minister. How can he go on predicting future moves of the Central government?” he wondered.

The Trinamool Congress, he said, has already taken action against anyone found involved in corrupt activities at the panchayat level and “we do not want to be lectured by Suvendu Adhikari,” Roy said.

The two teams had arrived on Thursday, triggering off a political slugfest with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing Delhi of sending officers to check on “trivial matters” while denying MGNREGS funds to the state.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)