Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Two women officials face wrath of mob

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA NOV. 15. An angry mob of villagers on Saturday laid siege to the Yanamalakudur panchayat office under Penamaluru mandal and detained for over four hours two women officials protesting against the alleged irregularities in the issue of the ration cards.

The beleagured officials -- MRO Srilatha and MDO Laksmi Kumari -- had to suspend issue of the cards which was being carried out since Thursday morning and beat a hasty retreat from the place amidst tight police security. Tension was mounting in the village since morning as a large number of villagers including ward members gathered at the panchayat office since 6.30 am with a view to preventing the officials from conducting distribution of cards.

As soon as the women officials came, the villagers barged into the office and demanded that they be issued white ration cards. They complained that many of the deserving poor and BPL families had been denied the cards without any valid reasons. "Many of us do not have enough money to pay even for two square meals a day or pay for electricity, whereas those who are already enjoying the card benefits have been given second cards,'' complained Narayanamma a casual labourer. According to Marri Srinivas, a ward member, the officials in a bid to meet the deadline carried the entire survey in a haphazard manner resulting in vested interests and ineligible persons getting cards, whereas poor families were left out. The villagers contended that there were at least 2,000 families still eligible for the cards, but were being denied the same by the Government on the ground that only 660 beneficiaries would be given the new cards.

Though the two officials said that beneficiaries were identified based on the recent Velugu survey, the villagers refused to relent and raised slogans demanding that they be issued the cards. The mob also wrested an assurance from Ms Srilatha and Ms Lakshmi that further issue of the cards would be suspended until a decision on the issue was taken up at the District Collector's level.

As a result, the issue of 200 cards were suspended for the day. The two women officials could not move out of their cabin as the angry mob refused to let them come out and remained stay put at the compound, forcing the police to intervene.

Ms Srilatha said based on the Velugu survey, 809 new cards were proposed in the village out of which the Government decided to sanction 660 cards. There are 6,442 households with 2,742 families already holding the cards. The eligibility criteria under the Velugu scheme was taken up based on various parameters like poorest among the poor, poorer, poor etc and as such there were no irregularities. She said over 200 cards issued were cancelled after detecting that they were given to ineligible persons.

The MRO, however, assured that in view of the largescale complaints from the villagers and the ward members, she would forward a report to the District Collector for his decision. Later police escorted the MRO and the MDO out of the place even as the villagers raised slogans against the officials.

Cuddapah: A large number of women and Congress functionaries mobbed the Yerraguntla MRO, Nagamallanna, in front of his office at Yerraguntla in the Kamalapuram constituency on Saturday alleging irregularities in issue of ration cards.

The protesters, led by the Congress cooption member, Subhan Basha, Youth Congress leader, Nageswara Rao, CPI(M) leader, Bayyanna and former ward member, Rami Reddy, alleged that ration cards were being issued only to persons who paid about Rs. 200 to some middlemen. As a verbal duel ensued, the Velugu coordinator, Nagendra, explained that the Government orders stipulated that ration cards should not be issued to families having an LPG connection, television, fans and electronic goods. The MRO assured to apprise the higher authorities of the issue.

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