Patna: Rural development minister Shravan Kumar on Friday directed officials to ensure completion of dwelling units to be built under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) by March 31. He also threatened to take action against those fail to comply.

The directive came during a review meeting of the department in which senior officials as well as those deputed on the field had been invited to share views about issues concerning the implementation of the scheme. The minister's directive assumes significance, as funds have not been released to over 7 lakh beneficiaries of the scheme to complete their dwellings. The Centre will not provide any more funds for the IAY scheme after it is wound up on March 31. The scheme had been replaced by Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) to provide pucca houses to poor families in 2016-17. The Centre decided to continue funding under the IAY for two more years in order to clear pending work under the scheme during which the states were supposed to comply.

The Telegraph had highlighted the issue of incomplete IAY units in Bihar earlier this month in a report on this issue. "I have asked the officials to decide the plan of action as per their convenience but in no case, work should be pending after March 31," said Shravan after the review meeting.

He said deputy development commissioners of all the districts had been directed to visit the panchayats, where work in progress was slow and enquire the reasons from the field officials. "Also, I categorically told the deputy development commissioners that the government will take stern action if any laxity is found in completion of pending work."

The minister invited block development officers from 10 best performing and 10 worst performing blocks to the review meeting. Both sets of officers were told to share their experiences in implementing rural housing schemes and laggards were told to follow the method adopted by performing officers.

The review meeting revealed that districts such as Sheikhpura, Arwal, Munger and Lakhisarai were performing well in implementing the rural housing scheme, whereas Madhubani, Darbhanga, Purnea, East Champaran and West Champaran lagged much behind.