Genuine card holders declared bogus

Weeding out of white ration cards and social security pensions of genuine beneficiaries during integrated household survey recently drew flak of Ministers forcing Chief Minister K. Rosaiah to direct officials to identify the erring staff responsible for such lapses.

Ahead of the Praja Patham programme planned by the government from next month, some Ministers expressed fears that people would confront them over the removal of cards. Information Technology Minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy reportedly raised the issue lamenting that several genuine beneficiaries lost their cards after a survey was done in the villages.

He is said to have complained that villagers had brought to his notice how the staff never visited the villages and prepared a list of bogus card holders.

Citing an example of his constituency, he reportedly said in one village 350 out of 450 card holders were declared ‘bogus' and their cards deleted.

Rural Development Minister Vatti Vasant Kumar is understood to have echoed similar feelings stating that out of the 88,000 bogus pensioners identified in the first survey, 66,000 were found to be genuine after a re-survey.

The Chief Minister is said to have wondered as to how such a lapse could take place. Immediately, he directed officials to identify all such staff members.

Civil Supplies Minister Jupally Krishna Rao is said to have told the meeting that at least 15-18 per cent deleted cards were found to be bogus.

The Cabinet also discussed the preparation for Praja Patham mass contact programme.

The Chief Minister said priority would be given to drinking water, employment generation under NREGA, seven-hour power supply, Rajiv Arogyasri, awareness on availability of 104 and 108 services, health awareness campaign and attention on street lights and domestic water supply in urban areas.