The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme was implemented in West Bengal during the 2022–2023 fiscal year. In response to the growing number of complaints of irregularities and the Centre withholding funds under the scheme, the state government has decided to voluntarily conduct an audit of the PMAY scheme’s implementation.
To ensure transparency, the state government has decided that the audit will be carried out in 345 blocks throughout the state by any audit organisation certified by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). According to a senior state official, the state administration wants to subtly convey that it is not implicated in any corruption in the subject by performing this audit freely. The official further said that this audit will put an end to claims that the state government was dodging audits for various Center-sponsored programmes in the state.
The state administration anticipates using the audit as a compelling justification when requesting that the Union government release the central monies owed under the PMAY plan. Political analysts believe that the decision to perform this audit voluntarily is also intended to present the ruling party in a positive light prior to the panchayat elections that are slated to take place this year.
The Union Ministry of Rural Development has already dispatched central field inspection teams to West Bengal to examine the scheme’s implementation in addition to the voluntary audit. As part of their field inspection, these teams have visited numerous districts and spoken to the locals. A report on the state’s actions to address any discrepancies in allotment under the PMAY programme was also given to the federal government by the state government. The Centre sent a different team to compare the report’s contents with their own inspection-related experiences after receiving it.
The West Bengal government’s voluntary audit is a step in the right direction towards establishing accountability and transparency in the PMAY scheme’s execution. The audit is likely to support the state government’s request that central money be released for the programme, and it will also present the ruling party in a favourable light ahead of the panchayat elections. Overall, the state government’s choice is a proactive step in combating the corruption problem and ensuring effective PMAY scheme implementation.