The Janpad Panchayat in Devbhog block has started cancelling Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana housing sanctions and recovering released funds from 86 beneficiaries across four gram panchayats who took their first installment but never began construction, block officials said, with four cases already sent to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s (SDM) office for formal action.
According to Patrika, the 86 cases are spread across Girsul (45), Madagaon (20), Kadalimuda (17) and Dumarpita (4), four gram panchayats under Devbhog block’s Janpad Panchayat. All 86 beneficiaries received their first installment years ago but have not built the sanctioned houses since.
Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana houses sanctioned in 2022-23 carried a cost of Rs 1.30 lakh each, while PMAY houses sanctioned in 2024-25 were valued at Rs 1.20 lakh, Patrika reported. Affected beneficiaries had withdrawn between Rs 25,000 and Rs 40,000 as their opening installment before construction stalled.
How the two housing schemes work
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) and the state’s own Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana both release sanctioned housing money to beneficiaries in instalments tied to construction progress, with the first instalment meant to cover foundation and initial-stage work. A beneficiary who does not use that money to build, or does not build at all within the scheme’s timeline, becomes liable to have the sanction withdrawn and the released amount recovered, which is the process now underway in Devbhog.
In Devbhog’s case, the gap between sanction and construction has stretched long enough, in some instances since the 2022-23 and 2024-25 sanction years, that the block administration has moved from reminders to formal cancellation and recovery, according to Patrika’s reporting.
Which villages are affected
Girsul gram panchayat accounts for more than half the pending cases, with 45 beneficiaries who have not built their sanctioned homes. Madagaon follows with 20, Kadalimuda with 17, and Dumarpita with 4, according to Patrika’s reporting of panchayat-level records.
| Gram panchayat | Pending beneficiaries |
|---|---|
| Girsul | 45 |
| Madagaon | 20 |
| Kadalimuda | 17 |
| Dumarpita | 4 |
| Total | 86 |
What officials said
Jagendra Sahu, CEO of Janpad Panchayat Devbhog, said proposals are being forwarded to the SDM office as they arrive from each gram panchayat, Patrika reported. Each panchayat first passes the case through its gram sabha before it moves up to the block and then district administration.
Jitendra Netam, secretary of Gram Panchayat Kadalimuda, said gram sabhas have passed resolutions proposing cancellation for beneficiaries who have shown no interest in construction for a long time, according to the same report. Those resolutions are the formal trigger that lets the administration move toward cancelling a sanction and recovering the money already paid out.
Why construction stalled
Some beneficiaries told Patrika they had spent the installment money on other household needs rather than construction. Others cited rising prices of cement, steel rods, gravel and sand as a reason the work never started, the report said. Patrika did not identify these beneficiaries by name.
What happens to the four confirmed cases
Four cases, those of Khirsing Yadav, Tikemani Sonwani, Jamuna Bai and Satodeep, have already been forwarded to the SDM office for formal registration, Patrika reported. That referral is the step that sets cancellation and fund recovery in motion for an individual beneficiary, once the SDM’s office processes it.
The remaining 82 cases across the four panchayats are at earlier stages, with gram sabha resolutions and panchayat-level documentation being compiled before they, too, can be sent up to the SDM office, according to the report.
What this means for other beneficiaries
The report also raised questions about oversight at the block level, including whether Janpad-level officials carried out regular inspections of sanctioned housing sites, and whether beneficiaries received timely counselling or formal notices before cases reached the cancellation stage. It argued that closer monitoring from the start could have prevented at least some of the 86 cases from reaching this point.
For beneficiaries still holding an unused first installment under either scheme, the Devbhog cases are a signal that an extended delay in construction can now result in the sanction itself being cancelled and the money recovered, not simply a reminder notice.
Frequently asked questions
Can a beneficiary avoid cancellation by starting construction now?
Patrika’s report does not say whether the Devbhog administration is giving beneficiaries a final window to begin work before cases already in the pipeline are closed. The four cases already forwarded to the SDM office are proceeding through the formal process, according to the report.
Who decides whether a sanction is cancelled?
The process begins with a gram sabha resolution at the panchayat level, is compiled by the Janpad Panchayat, and is then forwarded to the SDM office for formal registration and action, per the officials quoted in the report.
Does this affect all 86 beneficiaries immediately?
No. Only four cases, those of Khirsing Yadav, Tikemani Sonwani, Jamuna Bai and Satodeep, have reached the SDM office so far. The remaining 82 are still being processed at the gram sabha and Janpad Panchayat stage, Patrika reported.
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