Assam: Allegations of fund misuse stall PMAY home construction in Margherita

Residents of Margherita’s Inthem Gaon Panchayat are raising concerns over funds meant for the construction of homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) after accusations of corruption surfaced in Ward No. 2. 

A poor family in the area, allocated a PMAY house under the previous panchayat term, still resides in a deteriorating structure, despite government assurances of housing for all. The house, promised as part of the PMAY scheme, remains incomplete and in poor condition. In fact, the walls of the structure, made with substandard materials, collapsed, injuring a teenager.

Bhado Bhuyan, a resident of Ulup Pathar village, was among those designated to receive a PMAY home. However, after months of delays, the construction remains unfinished, leaving the family in a dire situation. The individual entrusted with overseeing the construction allegedly misappropriated the allocated funds, and the work was abruptly abandoned.

Bhuyan’s family continues to live in a barn-like shack, struggling to survive without proper shelter. The situation has raised questions about the efficiency of local authorities in managing government schemes intended for the poor.

The family, already living below the poverty line, is calling for accountability. They have urged the Margherita Co-District administration and local MLA to investigate the alleged misuse of funds and ensure that the person responsible for halting their housing project faces appropriate consequences.