The West Bengal government has ordered 11,000 people to return their housing money.
The state says they were not eligible for it.
The order covers the first instalment of ₹60,000 that these beneficiaries received under the Awas housing scheme.
They have been given until 30 November to pay it back.
Key points
- 11,000 ineligible beneficiaries must return ₹60,000 each by 30 November.
- A recent check found 12,000 people on the list did not meet the rules. Of these, 1,000 have already returned the money.
- A CID probe has been proposed into 57,000 alleged fictitious beneficiaries.
- The second instalment was transferred to 7,00,171 beneficiaries on Friday.
Who has to return the money, and why?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari gave the warning at a government event at Nabanna on Friday.
He said those who are not eligible must return the money.
Adhikari warned that people who fail to return the funds could face legal action.
The order focuses on how beneficiaries were selected.
It also looks at why payments were released before verification was complete.
What about the 57,000 names the state calls fake?
The state says 57,000 beneficiaries may not exist in reality.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
Government money may have reached accounts opened in the names of dead or relocated people.
The chief minister has called for an investigation into how ₹60,000 reached each account.
It will also look into who recommended these names.
The Criminal Investigation Department is expected to investigate, and a special team may be formed.
Chief Secretary Manoj Agrawal said benefits given outside the eligibility criteria amount to corruption.
He said the government will not tolerate such practices.
What happens next for the scheme?
The payment on Friday brings the total released in the current phase to about ₹10,323 crore.
It is meant for nearly 17.21 lakh eligible rural households.
Beneficiaries are also expected to receive wages for 90 to 95 days of work.
They will get ₹12,000 for toilet construction under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
The state also plans to link housing beneficiaries with the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar scheme for subsidised solar power.
Explainer
What happened before
- The housing scheme was earlier known as Banglar Bari and was later renamed West Bengal Awas.
- The first phase, held on 6 August, covered more than 10 lakh beneficiaries and about ₹6,122 crore in payments.
Why it matters
Public money reached people who did not meet the rules, so officials found responsible could face departmental action.
What to watch next
- Beneficiaries must return the first instalment by 30 November or face legal action.
- A special investigation team may be formed for a Criminal Investigation Department probe into the alleged fake accounts.
