KDMC told to file report on 654cr hsg ‘scam’

Thane: The district administration wants a status report from the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) on the Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP) scheme.      The Rs 654-crore housing programme, funded by the Centre, has been plagued with allegations of corruption, misappropriation of funds and fudging of the beneficiary list.  On Wednesday, TOI reported financial irregularities in the scheme to provide 13,469 tenements in high-rises for slumdwellers in Kalyan and Dombivli. "The Thane collectorate has directed us to submit an extensive report about the BSUP scheme's implementation from its inception," a senior civic officialtold TOI.      "We have acknowledged that there was delay in the project's execution largely due to interruptions caused by antisocial elements and legal issues involved. We have sought sanction from the state government to allow KDMC to secure a loan of Rs 174 crore from HUDCO for the project," he added.      The Thane police, which are investigating charges of graft in the welfare plan, have recommended a CBI probe. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has been reportedly advised against associating himself with the programme. Sources say Chavan is scheduled to preside over a function on October 23 to hand over keys to beneficiaries of the scheme.      KDMC special officer Subhash Bhujbal conducted an inquiry into the programme's implementation. The probe revealed that a private agency, which was authorized to conduct a survey, added fictitious names in the beneficiary list.      The firm was mandated to conduct a survey of the slum pockets using a biometric system for identifying each beneficiary after scrutiny of their proof of residence.      Under the scheme, a slumdewller has to pay 10% of the construction cost of a tenement, while the Centre, state government and local civic body foot the rest. TOI report on October 18