SIT to probe 57,000 'fake' housing scheme beneficiaries: Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari

Kolkata: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will investigate the 57,000 fake beneficiaries who had applied for the state government's housing scheme 'Banglar Bari' illegally during the previous Trinamool government's tenure, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Friday. The Trinamool Congress government had renamed PM Awas Yojana as 'Banglar Bari'.

Adhikari said that during the previous government's tenure, 12,000 fake beneficiaries had allegedly received housing scheme related money fraudulently. "Of the fake 12,000 beneficiaries, 1,000 have returned the money. I urge the remaining 11,000 to return the money by November end. Otherwise, stringent legal action will be taken," Adhikari said.

"Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal had said that 57,000 fake beneficiaries had applied illegally under 'Banglar Bari' project and were delisted. We have already identified 12,000 of those who received the money and have asked them to return the amount," CM said during a press conference. Adhikari said a committee, headed by retired judge Biswajit Basu, was constituted to probe the institutional corruption that allegedly took place during the previous regime. The state wants to check leakages and fraudulent activities. The previous Trinamool government had allegedly "politicised" the rural housing scheme for the poor, CM said, adding that "Trinamool government had falsely claimed that 18-19 lakh people covered under their 'Banglar Bari' project would not get money if the BJP came to power."


"We don't believe in discriminating on the basis of political affiliation, caste or community and disbursed money in the first phase," the CM said.