Around 11 women from Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj have reportedly misused the central government’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme, which assists low- and moderate-income families with building permanent homes, News 18 reports.
The women allegedly took the first instalment of Rs 40,000 from the government under the PMAY scheme and ran away with their lovers. This came to light after the women's husbands, questioned by the authorities on why the house construction hadn't begun, approached police. The authorities have now reportedly halted the next instalment.
So far, in the Maharajganj district, 2,350 families have received money through the PMAY scheme, reported News18. They belong to Thuthibari, Sheetlapur, Chatia, Ramnagar, Bakul Diha, Khasra, Kishunpur and Medhauli villages. The construction of some of these houses has already been completed, the report says.
The scheme's offerings include a subsidy of Rs 2.5 lakh, subject to beneficiary income. It should be noted that, under this scheme, there is a provision that allows the government to take back the money if they notice any discrepancy.
Hindustan Times has reported that similar incidents occurred last year as well in the state, when four women allegedly ran away from their homes with their lovers after they received money under the PMAY scheme. The four women left as soon as Rs 50,000 was put into their bank accounts.
The Maharajganj incident came to light after the authorities noticed that the construction of the houses had not begun. Notices were sent out ordering the immediate start of construction. Consequently, the husbands received a warning from the District Urban Development Agency (DUDA).