SDO withholds salary of staff over anomalies

GAYA: Sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Sherghati, Anil Kumar Raman, has ordered that the salary of rural housing assistants, assistant accountant and operators of Dumaria block be withheld. The action was taken following several complaints regarding irregularities in selection of beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), negligence in duty, financial irregularities and not going on field visits.
The SDO has stated that all the rural housing assistants working in Dumaria block were called on May 23 for review of their works along with selected list of the beneficiaries. However, none of them presented the list. "The housing assistants do not visit the area due to which eligible beneficiaries are deprived of the benefits of the scheme and ineligible beneficiaries are selected.
There are also complaints of patronising a middleman in selection of the beneficiaries," the SDO said. He has sought clarification from them within two days stating that why not their employment should be terminated on the charges of serious irregularities. He has also asked to make available the list of all beneficiaries of the block, the list of those who have got sanction of a house. Besides, those beneficiaries, who got installments transferred and the list where the installments have been wrongly transferred.