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CAG Raises Concerns Over Mamata Banerjee Government's Amphan Relief Distribution
Writer: Akanksha Saxena
I am a budding journalist who loves to write stories that have the ability to connect with people.
West Bengal, 17 April 2022 5:23 AM GMT
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Creatives : Akanksha Saxena
I am a budding journalist who loves to write stories that have the ability to connect with people.
In May 2020, The devastating 'Amphan' cyclone wreaked havoc in Eastern India where West Bengal became the epicentre of the effects, which included heavy rainfall and terrifying winds.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) raised concern over Amphan relief distribution done by the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal. According to them, the CAG noticed some glaring 'irregularities' while giving house building grants worth ₹2000 crore between May 2020 and January 2021. The federal auditor faced issues while investigating due to the state government's non-cooperation.
Cyclone Amphan wreaked havoc on Eastern states such as West Bengal and Odisha, and countries like Bangladesh, in May 2020. The devastating cyclonic storm was destroyed in its wake with heavy rainfall and terrifyingly strong winds. In West Bengal alone, 86 people died, most of the casualties resulting from electrocution or house collapse.
'Red Flags' Over Irregularities
A senior officer told The Times of India that a lack of transparency in the distribution method gave rise to fraudulent results. He states, "In Amphan relief by the West Bengal government, there were many irregularities that show that the selection of beneficiaries was non-transparent, but the relief was also distributed in an unfair method." Further, he added that there was a high risk of fraud in the payment.
As the Calcutta High Court instructed, the CAG conducted a performance audit of post-Amphan relief between February and September 2021 for the May 2020 - January 2021 period. The inferences suggested that ₹94 lakhs of house building grants were given to over 1500 people, even though their claims on the same were rejected due to no damages found.
The auditor has now sent its report to the Union Home Ministry, asking them to investigate the matter. It will look into the 'process of disbursement' of relief and call for 'necessary enquiry' of the officials involved.
However, this is not the first time the West Bengal government has been in the weeds. In 2020, the Mamata Banerjee administration was also accused of corruption involved in distributing the Cyclone Amphan relief.
Also Read: West Bengal Transfers Rs 20,000 Each To 5 Lakh Families That Lost Their Homes In Cyclone Amphan
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