Allegations of corruption have been raised against the people involved in the construction of houses under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) in Goreswar Development Block in Baksa district. Local villagers informed The Sentinel that most of the IAY houses under the block are awaiting completion even after a span of two years. Based on public complaints, this correspondent visited the interior areas of Goreswar recently, to take a look into the alleged anomalies and the cases of corruption. It was indeed found that a large number of houses are lying incomplete. The construction of houses under IAY are being done under the supervision of the Village Community Development Centre (VCDC) members. In an interview to The Sentinel, one Harimohan Das of Silkijhar village under Goreswar Development Block said that he was allotted a house under IAY in 2005-006 but the construction is yet to be completed. He said that household materials are yet to be fitted inside the half-constructed house. Das further alleged that one Dipak Bhowmik, Betna VCDC member, who had taken the contract, sought his signature in the completion certificate allegedly under the instructions of the VCDC chairman. Das, however, refused to sign the document but, approached the chairman demanding the early completion of his house. He could not, however, get a satisfactory reply from the chairman. Hiran Bala Das of the same village said that she was also selected as an IAY beneficiary, but her house also is yet to see the face of completion even after a year has passed. Nagen Boro of Gopehar village told The Sentinel that an IAY house was sanctioned in his name, but the work stopped long before completion. Boro is unsure whom to approach. All the people interviewed by this correspondent said that the VCDC chairman and the members allegedly asked for amounts of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 for an IAY house from beneficiaries. They further alleged that the contractors build the house with poor-quality wood and bamboo instead of high-quality bricks. Significantly, it has come to the notice of the people that no bricks have been used in the construction of the houses in Goreswar. Apart from the IAY houses, there are a number of rural development projects, which are yet to be completed. Allegations are rife that a number of schemes have not been carried out as allotted in the master plan. It has been further alleged that the funds of these projects have been siphoned off by a section of middlemen and political party leaders. Sources added that the Government sanctions an amount of Rs 27,000 per IAY house, but the contractors allegedly finish off the construction in as less an amount as Rs 14,000 and usurp the rest.