60-year-old man dies in stampede
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah arrives at the residence of G.S. Shivarudrappa in Bangalore - Satish. B
Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s announcement on extending the deadline to apply for food security cards and pensions till October 20 has failed to make an impact as one more senior citizen died in a stampede on Wednesday at Mahbubnagar.
The deceased was identified as 66-year-old physically challenged Narasimha Reddy, who came to the Sadaram centre, at the Wanaparty area hospital, to apply for a physically handicapped certificate to claim old-age pension. He suffered a heart stroke on account of a stampede.
On Tuesday, 70-year-old Mohd. Azam Khan had died in Hyderabad due to a sunstroke after waiting for hours in the queue. All revenue offices continued to witness heavy rush on Wednesday as anxious people thronged to submit applications from 8 am. Police had to be deployed to control the situation. While the counters, set up at revenue offices, open at 10 am, people started queuing up from 7 am.
The plight of senior citizens and women carrying children was pitiable. Angry citizens were seen cursing the TRS government for the agony suffered by them.
“The entire exercise seems to be aimed at harassing us, instead of offering welfare schemes. How can the government expect lakhs of people to submit applications in four-five counters in each MRO office within a week? It’s not only for ration cards and pensions. Students are flocking for caste and residence certificate applications. I have been coming to the MRO office in Lower Tank Bund for the last four days for ration cards, but could not submit my application due to long queues,” said P. Venkatesham, a resident of Lower Tank Bund.
People also questioned the rationale behind asking everyone to apply afresh when the government already had complete data of all the households collected in the intensive household survey.
Meanwhile, some brokers in collusion with staffers at the revenue offices are looting the people by demanding money for ration card and pension application forms and for the submission of the same.
he ministers at the Secretariat have clearly directed people to submit applications on plain paper, but employees at revenue offices are insisting on printed application forms, which brokers are supplying for Rs 100 each, besides another Rs 100 for filling up the details and '200 for submission and subsequent acknowledgement.
After waiting for hours in serpentine queues, exhausted applicants were sent back empty handed as they failed to provide printed applications and photocopies.
“No one is accepting applications on plain paper. They are insisting on printed applications and photocopies of previous cards,” said Ch. Manikyam, resident of Domalguda. People alleged that revenue staff and brokers are clearly hand in glove to make quick bucks through the application process.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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