CHENNAI: More than 50% of the land acquired for distribution to SC/ ST individuals in the state is lying vacant, as the scheme has not been linked to housing programmes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G) for construction of houses.
Furthermore, there is a lack of accurate data regarding homeless SC/ST individuals in the state and the scheme’s beneficiaries, according to the CAG compliance report on the Free House Site Patta (FHSP) scheme. It also points out the lack of a database with the Commissioner of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare on the number of landless and economically disadvantaged SC/STs in need of housing plots.
This data gap, along with the absence of established norms and targets, results in a reactive rather than proactive implementation of the scheme. “No system was in place to record the receipt of applications for grant of FHSP, verification, issue of patta, rejection, and details of house site granted at the selected Adi Dravidar Welfare division, taluk and district offices.
Proper mechanism was not put in place to check fairness and correctness in the disposal of applications and adherence to seniority of applicants for the grant of FHSP,” said the report. The reasons for the vacant lands include nonassignment of lands, assignees’ inability to construct houses on the allocated land and challenges in transferring land titles to legal heirs.
The audit also revealed that beneficiaries in six districts - Ariyalur, Kanniyakumari, Krishnagiri, Perambalur, Nilgiris and Tiruvarur -did not receive free pattas as no expenditure was incurred for land acquisition in the period from 2012 to 2022. The government attributed this to difficulties in land acquisition after the enactment of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act.
Additionally, more than 10% of the land within 15 sampled divisions was sold within the lock-in period. Although the government issued instructions to address issues faced by assignees under the scheme, such as outdated land records, challenges in mortgaging land for housing loans and land transfers to legal heirs, enumeration drives had not yet commenced in six out of the 15 sampled ADW Divisions. The government also wasted Rs 3.65 crore by dragging enhanced compensation to private landowners.
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