In a strict move to address the poor implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Mayurbhanj, Odisha, the district administration has withheld the salaries of 843 officials. This decision follows a detailed review of the district’s subpar performance in the central rural housing scheme, officials said on Wednesday.

District Collector Hema Kanta Say expressed serious concerns over the district’s lagging progress and, in a directive to Block Development Officers (BDOs), emphasized the importance of timely completion of housing projects under the scheme. In the letter, the Collector cited repeated instructions and monitoring efforts, which failed to yield the required results.

“Even after repeated instructions and monitoring, performance in completion of rural housing is not satisfactory. Furthermore, it is found that the performance of 843 officers, out of 1,016, is very poor. They have not even achieved 63 per cent completion, even after 1 year has elapsed,” said Say.

The Collector’s office found that less than two-thirds of the target was met despite substantial efforts to encourage adherence to timelines. The withholding of salaries is expected to reinforce accountability and encourage officials to expedite project completion to benefit rural residents in need of housing.