Over 9600 Gram Panchayats have not submitted the lists of beneficiaries, posing a danger of scheme being cancelled. The department has developed a new software Indira, facilitating selection of beneficiaries over phones The RDPR Department is dragging the process, resulting in Rs 1,000 crore subsidies lying not being utilised. Of the proposed 6 lakh houses for the year 2016-17, 2 lakh houses are yet to be processed.
Owning a home could well remain a dream for over a lakh of beneficiaries purely due to the slackness of the respective Gram Panchayats, who are not submitting the lists despite repeated reminders and notices. The fed up Housing Department has decided to lock the software that facilitated submitting the lists by GPs.
With this the list prepared 6 months ago by some GPs but were not submitted will see the dust bin.
However the Housing Department is concerned about the beneficiaries and in its effort yet again, it has developed a new software Indira, which facilitates using mobile to conduct Gram Sabha and select beneficiaries and directly upload to the department.
The proposed construction of houses in 2016-17 was 6 lakhs. Of this 4 lakh houses are nearing completion. With regard to the rest 2 lakh houses, certain organisations had gone to court questioning who should select the beneficiaries - the MLAs or the Gram sabhas. The court issued an interim order that the MLAs cannot select the beneficiaries and they should not even supervise. According to the Act, the Grama Sabha has the supreme authority in selecting the beneficiaries. Following the petition, the court has isused an interim order stating that government must complete the selection process without causing trouble to the beneficiaries. Hence the government also is eager to complete the process. But the Gram Panchayats are not cooperating and have not submitted the list even after a year. As a result the government is not in a position to utilise the Rs 1000 crore subsidy, including the RS 3.50, 000 crores for the year 2016-17.
The interim order by the court has facilitated construction of 2 lakh houses. One lakh beneficiaries are already identified and a list prepared by the Taluk Panchayat Eos and submitted to the government. Now, over one lakh beneficiaries who have to be selected by the GPs are yet to be identified.
It is over 6 months since beneficiaries list for the Basava Vasathi, Ambedkar Vasati, Vajpayee and Indira Avas Yojan are prepared. However the Panchayat officials are keeping the lists with the and not submitting to the government giving some or the other excuses. There are also complaints that they are demanding bribes from beneficiaries. The department had held video conference 5 to 6 times to warn the officials regarding this. The final deadline given for submitting the list was June 25. Even after the expiry of the deadline none of the Gram Panchayats have submitted the lists. The department is locking the software and the GPs cannot upload it any more.
Instead, the Housing Department has developed a new software Indira that facilitates conducting Gram sabhas on mobile, selecting beneficiaries and directly uploading to department easy. The officials have said that it will soon be implemented.
Minister for Housing M Krishnappa has attempted to speeden up the process. However, the slacking Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department is not supporting him to the fullest extent. Even if the Housing Department draws up all plans it has to depend on RDPR for implementation. While the PDOs are yet to submit the list for 2016-17, the Housing Department cannot take action against them. The Panchayat officials are also equally lagging behind. Hence the project as of now has only the target of finishing 5 lakh houses for the year 2015-15.
Manish Moudgil, MD, Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation, has said that it is over 6 months since the lists of beneficiaries are drawn after conducting Gram Sabhas. The Panchayat PDOs have not sent the list. We are locking the software. Now they have to conduct fresh Gram Sabhas and draw up a fresh list and submit.
