Bandipora, Sep 06: Shabir Ahmad Ganie, a 35-year-old casual labourer residing in Ahamsharief’s Bilal Colony in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, was elated when he received an unexpected sum of 50,000 rupees in his bank account.
Ganie described his initial reaction: “I was jubilant a month ago when I suddenly received Rs 50,000 in my bank account.”
Upon receiving the money, he left his deteriorating mud-brick home and sought confirmation from the bank branch manager. The manager verified that the funds were part of the government’s housing scheme, which Ganie’s father had initially applied for, and followed by Ganie himself.
His dream of providing a comfortable home for his wife, two children, and an elderly mother appeared to be within reach. He recalled the moment when he along with his family were over the moon, realising that their dream of having a comfortable house was turning into reality.
However, this joy was short-lived as the ground staff from the rural development department responsible for implementing the PMAY, a Central government scheme for rural housing, approached him.
He explained, “First, a Village Level Worker (VLW) from our village asked me to dismantle my old and dilapidated house. He told me that I could proceed to construct a new house once my old house was completely demolished.” Ganae followed the instructions, withdrew 50,000 rupees from his bank account, and began constructing the foundation of his new home, using nearly all the funds.
Before the new structure could take shape, he received shocking news: the money was not meant for him. He recounted, “I was told that there was some error and the money was meant for someone else living in the same village.” Despite his Aadhaar-linked account, he was pressured to return the money. His distress escalated, leading to unfortunate consequences. He said, “The pressure from the rural department was so much that my wife fainted a week ago and fractured her leg.”
He claimed he was eligible for the scheme, stating, “Everyone should come and see for themselves if I am eligible for the housing scheme.” He pointed out that his old house was in a crumbling state.
The situation has taken a severe psychological toll on Ganie and his family. His elderly mother lamented, “We live in two rooms that were also ordered to be demolished. Now whatever money he (Ganie) spent on the foundation of the new house is being demanded back.” Ganie revealed that the department had also blocked his bank account, leaving him in distress.
Block Development Officer (BDO) Bandipora, Shariq Ahmad, said that a computer error might have caused the money to be credited to Ganie’s account, “It was possibly a computer error that the money was credited into his bank account.”
Shariq said as of now he is not on the permanent waiting list, adding that investigations are underway to address the issue.
