Chopal Tops PMAY-G Survey — But Who’s Verifying the Verifiers?
CHOPAL/SHIMLA, AUGUST 5:
Chopal block in Shimla district has grabbed headlines for topping the charts under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), with the highest number of self-reported household surveys — 2,847 in total.
It has also claimed a clean sweep in the checker verification phase, reporting 100% verification of 664 households.
But beneath the celebration, a critical question arises — how credible is a survey when it's done by the same hands that benefit from showcasing its success?
The so-called success has come through “self-survey”, where government staff themselves collected and entered data using the PMAY-G mobile app.
There was no third-party agency or independent verification mechanism involved in the survey stage — raising doubts about objectivity and transparency.
Yes, Chopal did outperform all 13 blocks in Shimla district, with Theog (1,980), Chauhara (1,588), and Rohru (1,121) trailing behind.
But when the entire verification mechanism remains internal, the scope for conflict of interest can't be ignored.
Even in the checker verification phase, Chopal again reported 664 out of 664 cases verified — with zero pendency — while other blocks had dozens, if not hundreds, pending.
For example, Theog verified only 72 out of 432 eligible households, and Rampur could clear just 14 out of 307.
“We ensured every household was visited and gram sabha validations were done,” said BDO Vineet Thakur, who is being widely credited for Chopal’s performance. But again — who validates that validation?
In the absence of an external audit, the line between diligence and data dressing remains thin. Chopal's record of enabling 1,128 houses in two years under PMAY-G is impressive on paper.
But without third-party spot-checks or social audits, there's little to distinguish genuine impact from bureaucratic performance metrics.
While Chaupal has implemented other notable initiatives — like a public library in Nerwa, plastic waste parks, and model panchayats — the PMAY-G achievement being hailed as a "golden chapter" by locals and officials alike needs closer scrutiny, not just applause.
BDO Vineet Thakur has been awarded twice by the state government and even received the Himachal Gaurav Samman.
But awards shouldn’t be a substitute for transparent, independent monitoring, especially when public money and welfare of the rural poor are involved.
In a state where large swathes still struggle with basic housing, development data needs more than just internal endorsements. It needs external validation and public accountability.
#PMAYG #SelfSurveyConcerns #DataWithoutAudit #ChaupalUnderLens
