JOIN USThe Supreme Court on Friday asked why some states failed to utilise over Rs 1,000 crore released by the Centre under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) to construct permanent shelter homes in 790 urban centres in the country, observing “it is a scam”.
After going through an affidavit filed by Union Ministry of Urban Development, the social justice bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice U U Lalit expressed shock to note that some of the states had not built a single shelter despite the release of funds.
“It is a scam. Take for example Maharashtra. It received Rs 170 crore and the state has no new construction and it has not a single operational shelter home. There is not a single operational shelter home in the state (Maharashtra). Where has the money gone,” the bench asked, directing the ministry to file a fresh affidavit giving entire details of the expenditure under the project.
The bench also imposed Rs 10,000 cost on the Centre after a counsel sought adjournment in the matter. The Centre has provided Rs 1,078 crore to states under the scheme which is meant to provide shelters to homeless people in urban centres of the country.