In Tiruvarur, the dead too apply for PMAY benefits

 In Tiruvarur, the dead too apply for PMAY benefits

Vincent.Arockiaraj@timesgroup.com

Tiruvarur: 17.09.2020

Scam in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) implementation is not new to Thalayamangalam village in Mannargudi taluk in Tiruvarur district where many who are dead have the rare distinction of resurrecting themselves from the grave to apply for PMAY benefits to construct houses.

The villagers themselves had exposed the officials who indulged in large-scale irregularities in construction of 275 houses under PMAY a few months ago. They took it to court too. The MDMK and CPM functionaries, who spearheaded the movement, said the scam was reported in most of the 430 villages in Tiruvarur district.

Of 275 ‘applicants’ in the village, money sanctioned to 103 beneficiaries was swindled without carrying out any work. Many among the remaining 172 ‘applicants’ had not applied. Except a few real beneficiaries, all others were cheated one way or the other by a syndicate of officials and local politicians, said P Masilamani, former president of the village and MDMK union secretary who exposed the fraud. “Swindling happened between 2016 and 2019, when there was no elected local body in place. But it came to light only in July 2020. Irregularities happened in construction of free toilets too. We lodged a complaint with police this July,” he said.

G Sundaramoorthi, district president of the CPM, said though action had been taken against some officials, the entire money should be recovered and all those involved in the fraud arrested. K Ambikapathi, a resident of Thalayamangalam, told TOI that money had been swindled in the name of his elder brother K Jayachandran, a retired sub- inspector of police, who died in 2018. “Being a government servant, my brother was not eligible to get any benefit under the scheme. However, forging his documents, officials swindled the money,” Ambikapathi said.

He maintained an account in IOB while he was alive. Money was credited to that account and subsequently transferred to some other accounts without anyone’s knowledge, he added.

G Chinnadurai, a farmer in the village, said two years ago, panchayat clerk Pugazhenthi approached him and got signatures on some documents by promising him a house under the PM-housing scheme. When the scam got exposed, he came to know that money was swindled in his and his father K Givindan’s name, who died in 2016.

Ponniyin Selvan, assistant project officer of District Rural Development Agency in Tiruvarur, who conducted an inquiry into the scam said four officials were suspended. Further inquiries were on, he said.

K Govindan, died in 2016, but money had been withdrawn in his name, said his family