Kuruppampadi: Faced with inordinate delays in the release of funds from both the central and state governments, several families belonging to the Scheduled Caste selected under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) are struggling to complete the construction of their houses.

In the Koovappadi block panchayat alone, houses were allotted to 101 families under the scheme, of which 19 belong to the Scheduled Caste category. Although these families, from the Vengoor, Mudakkuzha, Asamannur, Rayamangalam, Okkal and Koovappadi panchayats, had all begun construction, the works have come to a standstill midway due to paucity of funds.

Under the PMAY scheme, each beneficiary is entitled to ₹4 lakh, which includes ₹1.2 lakh from the central government and ₹1 lakh from the state government. The remaining ₹1.8 lakh is shared by the three-tier panchayats, with the gram panchayat contributing ₹45,000, the block panchayat ₹72,000 and the district panchayat ₹63,000 per house.

Construction of houses under the scheme begins with the release of ₹48,000 from the central share as the first instalment, while subsequent instalments are sanctioned by the three-tier panchayats based on reports from the Village Extension Officer (VEO) confirming progress at each stage.

However, with the state government yet to release its share of ₹1 lakh through the Scheduled Caste Department, beneficiaries who started building their homes have been unable to proceed with concreting works. Adding to their woes, only the first instalment of ₹48,000 from the central share of ₹1.2 lakh has been released so far.

According to A T Ajikumar, member of the Koovappadi block panchayat, several families who dismantled their old homes to construct new ones under the scheme are now left in the lurch. Taking note of their plight, he has submitted a memorandum to Minister O R Kelu, urging immediate release of funds for Scheduled Caste beneficiaries.