Assam: Manikpur Development Block BDO suspended for alleged irregularities in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana

The Block Development Officer (BDO) of Manikpur Development Block in Bongaigaon district, Manjushri Ghosh, has been suspended from her post. The suspension comes in light of alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G) in the region.

The order to suspend Smti. Manjushri Ghosh was issued by the Government of Assam's Panchayat and Rural Development Department on October 17 . The suspension was carried out following a thorough investigation that uncovered several discrepancies and irregularities in the allocation and construction of houses under the PMAY-G during her tenure.

The investigation revealed numerous concerning findings, including:

- Beneficiaries of PMAY-G were found to already possess Pucca houses on the same property, casting doubt on the necessity of providing additional housing.

- Many houses marked as 'completed' in the AwaasSoft portal were physically found to be incomplete during field inspections, with missing doors and windows, indicating that the construction did not meet program requirements for marking completion.

- Instances were identified where multiple members of the same family received separate PMAY-G houses, raising concerns about equitable resource distribution and eligibility.

- Job card-related issues, such as incomplete or missing job cards and payment discrepancies, suggested irregularities in the maintenance of job cards and the payment process.

- Completed houses did not display the PMAY-G logo, indicating non-compliance with program requirements.

- Some beneficiaries proceeded with construction beyond the plinth level without all installments having been released, suggesting a lack of timely inspections.

- Despite apparent separations within families, multiple family members continued to share kitchens or live in close proximity in Pucca houses, suggesting irregularities in the scrutiny of family arrangements and eligibility.

- Concerns were raised by some beneficiaries, including allegations of solicitation for money and the collection of personal information.

Based on the report of the Enquiry team, the Disciplinary Authority in the Panchayat & Rural Development Department decided to suspend Smti. Manjushri Ghosh, the Block Development Officer of Manikpur Development Block, Bongaigaon, as per the provisions of Rule 6(1) of the Assam Service (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1964, pending the initiation of departmental proceedings against her.

Manjushri Ghosh is now under suspension with immediate effect and will be entitled to subsistence allowance as per the rules. She is also prohibited from leaving the headquarters without prior permission from the competent authority.