DHENKANAL: The inordinate delay in releasing funds under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) to beneficiaries through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) has affected the construction of houses in all eight blocks of the district. Resentment is brewing among hundreds of IAY beneficiaries in the district over the delay.
The State Government stopped payment of IAY funds through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and introduced direct payment to beneficiaries under PFMS from 2015-16. Funds are being released to the beneficiaries within a few days from the date of clearance entered in the system by the block officials.
Though all clearances have been issued by the authorities at the block level, funds are yet to be credited in accounts of beneficiaries through PFMS.
Sources said two months back, hundreds of beneficiaries in the district had received work order for construction of IAY houses. But they are yet to get the first instalment of the fund. Under the scheme, each beneficiary gets `70,000 as unit cost in three phases along with `12,000 for construction of toilet under Swachh Bharat programme and `15,000 in the form of 90 man-day labour cost from MGNREGS.
Sadar BDO Sipra Sethi admitted delay in releasing the funds and said beneficiaries would be paid first instalment soon.
Kamakshyanagar Additional Block Development Officer Niranjan Mishra said after similar allegations were received from beneficiaries, the district administration was apprised of the problem which was also discussed at a review meeting recently.
DRDA Project Director Madhusudan Mishra said, “We have informed the State Programme Officer about the delay and steps are being taken to release the funds to beneficiaries.”