Odisha govt withholds salaries of 843 officials over PMAY incompletion

Bhubaneswar, Oct 30: The Odisha government has announced a decision to withhold the salaries of 843 officials in Mayurbhanj district due to negligence in their duties. These officials were responsible for overseeing the construction of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in rural areas but failed to meet the required targets.

Mayurbhanj District Collector Hema Kanta Say has directed the Block Development Officers (BDOs) to inform the concerned officials about this action. A departmental notice (No. 8459) issued on October 28, 2024, stipulates that the salaries of these officials will remain unpaid until they fulfill their targets for the fiscal year 2023-24.

Out of 1,026 officers assigned to the PMAY rural housing projects, only 173 successfully completed their tasks. Inspections revealed that a significant 63% of the housing projects were left unfinished, attributed to inadequate field visits and poor oversight. The District Collector described the situation as “unfortunate” and emphasized the need for effective monitoring to expedite the completion of pending work.