The BJP state unit on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to institute an inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate into Bengal's fund utilisation under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana up until 2022, a move clearly aimed at embarrassing the Mamata Banerjee government.

Jagannath Chattopadhyay, one of the general secretaries of the BJP state unit, shared the charges that his colleagues levelled on the state government in the letter to Modi.

"A recent survey by the state government revealed that out of 18 lakh potential beneficiaries of the rural housing scheme, around 4.18 lakh or 22.76 per cent, are ineligible candidates," he said.

"If we assume a similar percentage of ineligible candidates were on the previous lists till 2022, then around 7.73 lakh ineligible beneficiaries, out of about 34 lakh, have already received the funds. This will represent an estimated embezzlement of about ₹9,340 crore. The central government's share in this kitty was around ₹5,200 crore, 60 per cent of the sum," said Chattopadhyay, adding they demanded a probe by the ED.

The demand for an ED probe comes in the backdrop of massive protests at many rural pockets of the state over allegations against the state government that ineligible people close to the ruling Trinamool Congress have made it to the housing beneficiary list.

As the Centre has stopped funding the PM Awas Yojana, the Mamata government will disburse money to about 11.36 lakh listed persons by December 2024.

"Protests surrounding the rural housing scheme are escalating.... It's clear that the BJP is trying to capitalise on the discontent," the observer said.

Amid the protests, the government on October 21 initiated a fresh survey on the rural housing scheme beneficiaries to re-verify the list, which threw up the 22.76 per cent that the Bengal BJP mentioned in its letter.

Chattopadhyay said that in districts such as Nadia and West Burdwan, ineligible beneficiaries exceed 35 per cent.

"In response to these survey results, the chief minister has ordered a recheck of the rejected beneficiaries list on humanitarian grounds. This is merely an attempt to reinstate ineligible candidates," said Chattopadhyay.

He demanded that the state repay funds likely to have been embezzled under the PMAY between 2016-17 and 2022-23 fiscal years.

TMC leaders swatted away the charges and blamed the BJP for trying to tarnish the state's image with "concocted theories". TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said that the state was standing by the poor after the Centre stopped funds.