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Madras HC directs Trichy district collector to verify allotments under PMAY-Gramin scheme

The Madras High Court has ordered the Trichy district collector to appoint verification officers to ensure the genuineness of houses allotted to beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) scheme in Trichy district. The court also instructed the Trichy superintendent of police to take legal action against officials of Lalgudi panchayat union who misappropriated funds for allotting houses under the scheme.

The court passed the order in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by K Udhayakumar, who alleged several malpractices in allotting houses to beneficiaries under the scheme. Udhayakumar claimed that the panchayat union officials had created a fake approval with the thumb impression of deceased persons and had misappropriated the funds. He further stated that the collector had admitted to the misappropriation by ten panchayat union officials and that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against them.

The court observed that a division bench of the court in Chennai had earlier directed the principal secretary of the rural development and panchayat raj department to instruct district collectors to appoint revenue officials of not less than the rank of RDO to verify the authenticity of allotments made under the scheme. The state also sent a letter to the Trichy SP to take legal action against the officials of Lalgudi panchayat union.

The court's directive is aimed at ensuring transparency and preventing malpractices in the allotment of houses to beneficiaries under the PMAY-G scheme. The appointment of verification officers would help to check the genuineness of the allotments and eliminate any irregularities or corruption. The court's order also sends a clear message that any malpractice in the scheme will be dealt with strictly and that officials responsible for such practices will be held accountable for their actions. Overall, this decision by the Madras High Court is a significant step towards ensuring that the benefits of the PMAY-G scheme reach the intended beneficiaries and that the scheme achieves its objectives.

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