‘Ineligible got aid under Indira Awaas Yojana in Haryana’

The comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India has pointed out various irregularities in the Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), a Centresponsored flagship scheme implemented in Haryana since January 1, 1996, to help economically poor rural people have dwelling units.

The CAG report which was recently tabled in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha said that financial assistance of Rs 1.74 crore provided to 470 ineligible persons was not recovered despite the orders of Punjab and Haryana high court, while 40 beneficiaries were given assistance amounting to Rs 15.88 lakh who had already pucca houses.

Against the target of construction of 93,690 houses, 72,944 were completed during 2008-2013 and the data of completion of houses was not fully reliable as it was inflated by 7%, the report said.

Further, the component of upgradation of unserviceable kutcha houses was not implemented at all, the report said, adding that convergence with other schemes for providing comprehensive housing facilities was not done properly, monitoring and management information for implementation of the scheme were weak and the social audit too was not conducted.

Though, when informed, the principal secretary, rural department, said in November 2013, that districts had prepared waiting list from the data of BPL survey and due procedure was followed for selection of beneficiaries, the CAG held that the reply was not convincing as the list of beneficiaries was to be prepared by the Gram Sabhas instead of district administrations.