The Hindu : Problems crop up at Khurana's `garib sunwais'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2004

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Other States - Rajasthan

Problems crop up at Khurana's `garib sunwais'

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, MARCH 23. The Rajasthan Governor, Madan Lal Khurana, who opened the doors of Raj Bhavan for the poor two months ago, has now discovered that it was an act of misplaced generosity in some cases. The realisation has dawned in the wake of hordes of beggars, sadhus, mendicants and those trying to get some easy money trooping in at the "garib sunwais'' (listening to the poor) at Raj Bhavan to claim a share of the Governor's largesse.

"Today some beggars and a few sadhus had lined up to seek financial help. Once the people have come to know that money is being distributed they are trying to take advantage of the situation,'' Mr. Khurana who spoke to the mediapersons after the day's hearing said. "We cannot provide financial help to all poor persons,'' he noted.

"Beggars are for the State Government to take care of. I am confining my area to higher education, promotion of spiritual tourism and redressing the grievances of the BPL families,'' Mr.Khurana asserted when the scribes pointed out that beggars were too poor and needy.

The Governor said that at times those came with grievances played the trick of dividing themselves into individuals in the case of a single family. "You have the husband sitting at one place, the wife at another. At a distance the son may be sitting. They feel that the chances are more if they try out individually without disclosing their relations,'' Mr.Khurana said.

When it all started, Mr.Khurana's idea was to help the families below poverty line (BPL) with their urgent needs. Raj Bhawan since then has set up a special committee to coordinate with the Chief Minister's office to provide immediate assistance to the needy who have knocked the Raj Bhawan doors. Mr.Khurana himself meets the public once in a week while on the rest of the days his staff take care of them.

After literally throwing open the gates of Raj Bhawan initially -- it is only half open now -- the security guards now filter the entrants to keep out the "professionals''. The scenes of minor fracas and noisy arguments when someone is stopped at the gates have become common in the once quiet and wooded Raj Bhawan premises. "We now propose to stamp the ration cards of those collect financial assistance from here so that they don't come for the second time,'' Mr.Khurana disclosed a fresh plan. At the end of it all today, Mr.Khurana distributed Rs.1.05 lakh to 175 persons after listening to them.

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Problems crop up at Khurana's `garib sunwais'