Govt orders probe into ‘Housing for All’ scheme in Kashmir

By: Nasir Azam

Srinagar: Jammu & Kashmir administration has ordered a high-level probe into the reported “irregularities” committed in the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Kashmir Valley.

Documents in possession of news agency – Kashmir News Observer(KNO) reveal that the Housing & Urban Development has ordered an independent enquiry into irregularities committed in implementation of the scheme after an officer, who was tasked to probe the matter, recommended a full-fledged inquiry into the matter.

In his report , Arvind Kotwal, Managing Director, Housing Board has recommended a full-fledged enquiry by a committee of officer to be headed by a Valley-based officer who can look into the gamut of irregularities committed during implementation of PMAY- Urban.

Based on the recommendations of Kotwal, the government has constituted a panel headed by Director Urban Local Bodies Kashmir to look into the matter. Its other members are Joint Comissioner( administration) Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Financial Advisor , Lakes and Waterways Development Authority and executive engineer of the concerned Urban Local Bodies.

The committee, according to an order issued by Housing & Urban Development Department, has been mandated to verify whether eligible beneficiaries were sponsored/ sanctioned for availing housing units under beneficiary-led Individual House Construction of PMAY-U in respect of all the districts of Kashmir as per the verification list submitted by Director Urban Local Bodies Kashmir, Srinagar Municipal Corporation submitted through the concerned deputy general managers/ uploaded on portal.

The panel has also been directed to report irregulaties, if any committed vis-à-vis identification of beneficiaries, geo-tagging, uploading the data on PMAY-U portal as per the guidelines during the implementation  of the scheme.

According to the order issued by H&UDD, Kotwal, in his report, has remained focus on Srinagar while as CID report has alleged that such a state of affairs prevails in the entire Valley.

As already reported by KNO, Kotwal was tasked to inquire into the matter on the basis of a report submitted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to J&K administration. —(KNO)