“Alleged Malpractice in PMAY-G: Residents in Anantnag’s Chittergul Block Claim Unfair Removal from Beneficiary List”

Sameer Ahmed

Anantnag 25 July: Residents of Chittergul Block in Anantnag district are raising concerns over alleged malpractice in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G), the flagship housing project of the Centre. Designed to provide pucca houses to those in rural areas who are homeless or living in dilapidated conditions, the scheme seems to have deviated from its primary purpose in this particular region.

Nisar Ahmad Wani, a local resident from Bimmer Chittergul village, shared his distress, claiming that his name, along with others’, has been unfairly removed from the PMAY-G beneficiary list. He alleged that the officials favored those who had approached them and, as a result, the genuinely needy and impoverished people like him were deprived of the benefits.

Nisar Ahmad Wani recounted his previous attempts to avail the PMAY-G benefits, stating that his application was unsuccessful in 2020. However, last year, the village sarpanch included his name on the list, raising his hopes of acquiring a pucca house. Sadly, his name was later removed from the list, further fueling his frustration.

According to Nisar Ahmad Wani, the situation worsened as officials granted the housing benefits to individuals who already owned substantial pucca houses, rendering the scheme’s intentions futile for those in genuine need.

As a professional driver, Nisar Ahmad Wani expressed his rightful claim to a PMAY-G house and lamented the unfairness in the allocation process. He also highlighted his multiple visits to the relevant department offices, all of which yielded no positive outcomes.

In response to the allegations, the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Chittergul stated that some residents of Brimmer village had recently visited his office, raising concerns about their names being struck off the beneficiary list. The BDO assured that he had forwarded their complaints to the panchayat secretary, and upon receiving the report, he would personally investigate the matter.