Where central-funded 'houses' exist only on govt files

Middle and lower level officials and panchayat secretaries in Tamil Nadu have found the central government-funded housing scheme for the poor, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the perfect fit to swindle money big time. By enrolling people ineligible for the benefits or by getting signatures of those already owning houses, officials have pocketed at least 50% of the total allocation.

A test case is Thalayamangalam village in Tiruvarur district. Officials claimed to have ‘constructed’ 275 houses under PMAY in this tiny hamlet; However, many exist only on paper. The scheme envisages payment of up to Rs 1.7 lakh to beneficiaries with the sum released in four phases in line with the stages of construction. P Masilamani, former president of the Thalayamangalam village and MDMK union secretary, was among those who exposed the scam in July.