Evidence before Loksabha Standing Committee on Awas Scheme

Aurangabad, Feb 10:

Owing to the ineffective implementation of union government’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Scheme in Aurangabad city, the principal secretary of the urban development department, divisional commissioner Sunil Kendrekar, district collector Sunil Chavan and Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) administrator Astik Kumar Pandey will have to give evidence before Loksabha Standing Committee on February 11.

The land for the scheme for implementing the scheme could not be available due to lack of co-ordination between AMC and the district administration. The Divisional Commissioner has no role to play in this matter. Hence, it will be interesting to see that who will give the evidence before the committee. Hence, the administration on Thursday started preparing the report to be submitted to the committee.

After receiving a notice from the standing committee, the land was finalized for the scheme in just eight days. The land has been provided at the price of Rs 1 per square meter, for which, AMC has paid the challan of Rs 1,82,300 including Rs 10,200 for 1 hectare land in Harsul, Rs 21, 600 for 3 hectares in Padegaon and Rs 1,50,500 for 15 hectares in Teesgaon.

AMC had demanded 60 hectares land to the district administration but only 19 hectares have been received. The district administration has only 42 hectares land in the outskirts of the city, of which, 23 hectares is encroached and only 19 hectares was given for the Awas Scheme. The remaining land will be given after removing the encroachment. Still, 18 hectares land is needed more. The beneficiary of the scheme will get a subsidy of Rs 2.5 lakh while the remaining amount will have to be spent by the beneficiary himself. The work of the scheme will start after the scrutiny of the eligible beneficiaries and capacity to spent the remaining amount.