Corruption and landlessness stall housing dreams in West Bengal

By Ajit Jha
Paschim Medinipur (West Bengal) [India], April 17 (ANI): While the national housing mission promises a concrete roof for every poor family, a starkly different reality persists in the slums of West Bengal.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the construction of houses for the poor has accelerated across the country. However, in parts of Bengal, political conflict and alleged local-level corruption have prevented many eligible families from receiving these benefits.

In the Medinipur Assembly constituency, a toxic mix of legal hurdles, alleged political nepotism, and deep-seated fear has left thousands of eligible residents living in squalor.
For nearly 35 years, families in Medinipur have resided on railway land. Despite decades of occupancy spanning the tenures of both the Left Front and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), these residents remain legally landless.
This status creates a bureaucratic "dead end," disqualifying them from the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and other central welfare schemes.
Resident Saroj Ghosh noted that without land rights, access to essential healthcare and housing initiatives remains out of reach. For mothers like Balma, this translates to raising newborns in makeshift huts devoid of electricity or safe drinking water.
In Gopegarh, the struggle is not just about land, but about political gatekeeping. Residents, including Vishwajit Mahato and Chand Dule, alleged that the PMAY scheme--which they claim has been renamed by the state government--is being weaponised as a tool for political patronage.
Residents claim that houses built under the scheme are primarily allocated to those affiliated with the ruling TMC.
Many families who meet the criteria for aid say their applications remain "pending" while party workers receive priority.
Allegations have surfaced that the central scheme is being presented under different names locally, obscuring its origins and complicating the oversight of funds.
Perhaps most troubling is the silence that hangs over these settlements. Many residents expressed deep hesitation to speak with the media, fearing repercussions for voicing their grievances.
"Fear runs deep," noted one observer, as families balance their desperate need for aid against the potential risks of challenging the local political status quo. As the state moves forward, the voices of Sujaya Bhattacharya and others serve as a haunting reminder of the families left behind in the gap between policy promises and grassroots execution. (ANI)