Siliguri, 31st March: After several allegations of corruption in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) were raised in West Bengal, several teams of delegations from the Central Government had come to the state for inspection over the months. After their review, several shocking facts have been revealed.
Speaking in this regard, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, through a statement, claimed that in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA), after the centre’s intervention, the West Bengal Government removed over 01 lakh fake job cards from Darjeeling, over 59000 fake job cards from Kalimpong, and over 57000 fake job cards from Siliguri. In addition to this, the GTA’s estimated MGNREGA corruption is calculated to be around Rs 319 crores. With this revelation, the Centre has withheld the funds under Section 27 of MGNREGA.
The MP said that over the past week, attempts were being made to develop the narrative that he has stopped development funds to the GTA. However, he alleged that the funds to PMGSY, MGNREGA and other schemes have not been stopped, rather they have been siphoned off by those running the state and GTA. “The Central Govt has provided full funds to complete these projects. However Funds have been looted by making Fake Job Cards, fake completion certificates, fake invoices,” he stated.
Adding further to his statement, the MP wrote, “In PMGSY, roads have been shown as completed without any work being done. Where work is done, spurious materials have been used leading to roads coming undone within a few months of construction.
Under the Har Ghar Jal scheme, the Central Govt has allocated over Rs 2450Cr for 714 Projects in Darjeeling Lok Sabha Constituency. For Darjeeling hills, they have allocated Rs 1070Cr for 284 Projects, for Kalimpong Rs 518Cr for 146 Projects, and Rs 860Cr for 284 projects for North Dinajpur.” As an elected representative, the MP said that he refuses to turn a blind eye to corruption.
MP Bista warned that any person found indulging in corruption of public funds will not be spared. And will be held accountable and the Central Government will take stringent action to take back every single penny misused to date. Bista asserted that corruption would be eradicated from the region by continuing the anti-corruption drive in Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars region.