MAPUSA
The State government has moved a proposal to increase financial assistance under the Atal Asra Yojana from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh for construction of new houses and from Rs 1.50 lakh to Rs 2 lakh for house repairs, Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai informed the Goa Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.
Phal Dessai, however, expressed concern over the utilisation of assistance under the scheme, stating that nearly 50 per cent of beneficiaries who had received the first instalment had not applied for the second instalment.
Replying to issues raised during Question Hour, the Minister said 735 beneficiaries had availed themselves of the Atal Asra Yojana over the past five years.
He questioned the intention of beneficiaries who took the first instalment but did not proceed with the second, and warned that the government would initiate recovery proceedings if the assistance was not utilised for the construction or repair work for which it was sanctioned.
Phal Dessai said beneficiaries were required to use the financial assistance for the purpose specified in their applications and cautioned that the government would recover the money if it was found to have been misused.
“Nearly 50 per cent of the beneficiaries who have taken the first instalment have not applied for the second instalment,” he said.
The Minister also credited MLAs who actively assisted beneficiaries in their constituencies, saying some MLAs had helped a large number of people avail themselves of the scheme.
Mayem MLA Premendra Shet, while raising the issue, said several beneficiaries in his constituency had failed to receive instalments despite completing the bank-seeding process.
Shet also pointed out that many applicants were unfamiliar with the online application process and alleged that field officers deputed to assist beneficiaries were not adequately cooperating with them.
Phal Dessai said beneficiaries could apply for the scheme either online or offline. He assured the House that a workshop would be organised to train field workers so that they could assist applicants in filling out forms and completing the necessary procedures.
The Atal Asra Yojana is a housing assistance scheme under which eligible beneficiaries receive financial assistance for construction, reconstruction and repair of houses.
