Hyderabad: Deputy CLP leader in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir has accused the State Government of harassing the common people in the name of Telangana State Food Security Cards for the poor.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan here on Tuesday, Shabbir Ali alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has created confusion by complicating the application procedures for Food Security Cards and pension scheme for old age, widows and physically handicapped. "What happened to the information gathered by the State Government through Gram Sabhas and through the Intensive Household Survey?" he asked.

He said that even after two months, the government is yet to digitise and analyse the information gathered through IHS. By this time, the government should have had the complete information of deserving eligible beneficiaries for ration cards and pensions, he said. The much hyped IHS remained on paper and the government did not even cover 20 per cent of households which were left out on August 19. Instead of completing the survey works and linking the same to schemes like new ration cards and pensions, the government ordered issue of new ration cards and pension scheme by seeking fresh applications.

The TPCC Vice-President also objected to linking of Food Security Card to Aadhar. He said nearly 70 lakh people in Telangana does not possess Aadhar card. This was revealed in the IHS survey itself. Of the 3.11 crore population, who enrolled their details in the survey, only 2.43 crore possessed Aadhaar. Further, the Supreme Court in March and September 2013 granted interim directives stating the Aadhar card should not be compulsory for availing government schemes or subsidies. Therefore, the TRS Government's move linking new ration cards to Aadhar was a clear violation of orders of the Supreme Court.

Shabbir Ali alleged that the Chief Minister had no control over State administration. While he has been claiming that people can apply for Food Security cards on a plain paper, the officials have issued a long proforma. As a result, people are being forced to face hardship in securing the forms, which are illegally being sold for even Rs 15-20 each by the middlemen. Some internet centres are charging even Rs 100 to provide details of Aadhar cards. Due to heavy demand, the xerox centres are making a killing. He said that people had directly spent over Rs 20-25 crore only for taking photocopies of their documents for the IHS. The government is now again forcing them to spend their money on a similar process. Further, several poor workers are losing their daily wages to submit their applications for the new ration cards.

The Congress leader said that there is heavy rush of applicants at all the Mandal Revenue Offices. Poor people are running from pillar to post to get the forms and are in a confused state to fill them. He said he had received a call from an 80-year-old woman whose husband passed away about 30 years ago. This poor widow will now be deprived of pension as she is unable to get Death Certificate of her husband who died about three decades ago.

He also demanded that the deadline for submission of applications for Food Security Card and pensions be extended and the Chief Minister himself intervenes to at least minimise the hardship being faced by poor people.

SS