The Narendra Modi government may have approved a sum of Rs 8,200 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or the PMAY, popularly known as housing for rural poor, but officials feel spending the funds will be easier said than done in Bengal as the disbursal is linked to several conditions.

The most important condition of the Centre is that the final list of 11 lakh beneficiaries, who would get dwelling units by the ongoing financial year, would have to be approved by the gram sabhas in all 3,300-odd gram panchayats in Bengal by December 20.

“Getting the list of beneficiaries is a tough job given the current political scenario in the state. In many areas, it is being apprehended that trouble may break out which can lead to serious law-and-order trouble,” said a senior bureaucrat.

Gram sabhas are meetings where common villagers of a particular gram panchayat come together at one place and decide on various local issues in the presence of panchayat functionaries and district officials.

In Bengal, the gram sabha meetings, which had been a regular feature during the Left Front tenure, were not held since 2013. Allegedly, the ruling Trinamul did not show interest in holding the meetings.

As there was a minimal presence of Opposition parties in the three-tier panchayat system, the ruling Trinamul was also never under any pressure to hold such meetings.

Recently, the panchayat department made it mandatory for the gram panchayats to hold gram sabhas after complaints of irregularities had flooded the department.

“It is considered that gram sabhas are the best filter to prevent corruption as the panchayat functionaries had to face questions from common villagers in these meetings. This is why such meetings were felt necessary and instructions were passed in this regard,” said a bureaucrat.

But authorities in many places are facing trouble to hold such meetings now even though the panchayat department made it mandatory.

“Many panchayats are not calling the meetings fearing questions over alleged irregularities. Meetings are being held in areas only where Trinamul enjoys absolute majority,” said a district magistrate.

Now, the instruction to get the list of beneficiaries of housing schemes approved through the gram sabhas has become a headache for the authorities.

A district magistrate explained that as the gram sabhas have the authority to mark ineligible beneficiaries, trouble may break out where Opposition parties have some presence.

“Nobody would like to see his or her name deleted from the list of beneficiaries. If the Opposition parties mark someone ineligible, there is a chance that trouble may break out,” said the DM.

Furthermore, the officials pointed out that it was also tough to hold such meetings in 3,300-odd gram panchayats in the span of three weeks.

A senior Nabanna official said that they were aware of the situation.

“The district magistrates can mark the areas where such troubles can possibly erupt. Required security arrangements have to be made for the areas during the meetings,” the official said.