<p>The Housing department has booked criminal cases against 25 panchayat development officers (PDOs) and 18 taluk nodal officers in various parts of the State for siphoning off funds under the Ashraya Housing scheme.<br /><br />Speaking to mediapersons, Housing Minister V Somanna said preliminary investigations have revealed that these officials along with the local panchayat members have embezzled about Rs 15 crore meant for the construction of about 3,000 Ashraya houses by producing fictitious documents, between 2010 and 2012.<br /><br />The cases have been detected in five districts, including Gulbarga and Bijapur. “I think it is only the tip of the iceberg. Similar cases might have happened across all districts over the last years. </p>.<p>The department has appointed a private consultant company to verify about three lakh Ashraya house allotments made in the last three years,” the minister said. Somanna said the department has been finding it difficult to take action against panchayat members involved in the scam. <br /><br />They bring pressure from various quarters. So it has been decided to first arrest the nodal officers involved, he added. He said president of a panchayat at Bableshwar in Bijapur district had siphoned off money meant for nearly 100 Ashraya houses. <br /><br />Similarly, eight to 10 panchayat members in Bhalki of Bidar district were found to be involved in a large-scale irregularity. Steps are being initiated against them, he added. <br /><br />The minister, however, did not disclose names of the officers and panchayat members involved.<br /><br />“Though it is the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) which sanctions Ashraya houses, it is the executive officers at the taluk level and PDOs at the gram panchayat level who have powers to sanction money for implementation. </p>.<p>This is leading to a lot of irregularities. The system has to be changed,” the minister said.Besides, the KHB has been auctioning properties identified across the State after conducting the land audit. <br /><br />As many as 18,000 properties worth about Rs 1,310 crore have been identified, he added.</p>
<p>The Housing department has booked criminal cases against 25 panchayat development officers (PDOs) and 18 taluk nodal officers in various parts of the State for siphoning off funds under the Ashraya Housing scheme.<br /><br />Speaking to mediapersons, Housing Minister V Somanna said preliminary investigations have revealed that these officials along with the local panchayat members have embezzled about Rs 15 crore meant for the construction of about 3,000 Ashraya houses by producing fictitious documents, between 2010 and 2012.<br /><br />The cases have been detected in five districts, including Gulbarga and Bijapur. “I think it is only the tip of the iceberg. Similar cases might have happened across all districts over the last years. </p>.<p>The department has appointed a private consultant company to verify about three lakh Ashraya house allotments made in the last three years,” the minister said. Somanna said the department has been finding it difficult to take action against panchayat members involved in the scam. <br /><br />They bring pressure from various quarters. So it has been decided to first arrest the nodal officers involved, he added. He said president of a panchayat at Bableshwar in Bijapur district had siphoned off money meant for nearly 100 Ashraya houses. <br /><br />Similarly, eight to 10 panchayat members in Bhalki of Bidar district were found to be involved in a large-scale irregularity. Steps are being initiated against them, he added. <br /><br />The minister, however, did not disclose names of the officers and panchayat members involved.<br /><br />“Though it is the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) which sanctions Ashraya houses, it is the executive officers at the taluk level and PDOs at the gram panchayat level who have powers to sanction money for implementation. </p>.<p>This is leading to a lot of irregularities. The system has to be changed,” the minister said.Besides, the KHB has been auctioning properties identified across the State after conducting the land audit. <br /><br />As many as 18,000 properties worth about Rs 1,310 crore have been identified, he added.</p>
