HASSAN: People in rural areas of Hassan district have expressed displeasure over the identification of below poverty line (BPL) beneficiaries by the authorities concerned and are blaming teachers and anganwadi workers, who have conducted survey. They have alleged that village accountants manipulated the list of beneficiaries. The villagers said elected representatives had misguided the authorities concerned while preparing the list and few village accountants were collecting more than Rs. 5 which has been fixed by the district administration for issuing cards. Recently villagers of Gundegowdanakopplu had beaten a village account for demanding more than the amount fixed and a complained had been registered in this regard by the Hassan Police. According to a fresh survey conducted by the district administration, the number of below poverty line beneficiaries had decreased from 2,67,869 to 2,67,462. Above poverty line cards had increased from 92,103 to 1,44,602 and the number of "Anthyodaya" beneficiaries had increased from 18,987 to 25,098. District in-charge and Minister for Public Works had expressed displeasure over the discrepancies. He said there was a need to change the system. He said to address the problem it was necessary to hand over the entire process of identifying beneficiaries and distributing cards to the Deputy Commissioner.

Reacting to the problem that cropped up after the commencement of distribution of cards, Deputy Commissioner K.H. Ashwathanarayana Gowda said the district administration had written to Comat Technologies, which had computerised the cards and had directed it to correct the technical problem. He appealed to people to accept the cards that were being distributed and lodge complaints, if any, within fifteen days of distribution of cards at the counters opened for the purpose. He requested people to complain against authorities who demanded more than the fee fixed by the Government for issuing cards. The authorities had received 28,986 complaints from those who had not received any type of cards. As many as 18,986 people, who had been given APL cards, claimed that though they were eligible for BPL cards, the authorities had included them under the APL category.

In all, 1,105 complainants said there was a mistake in the cards issued to them.

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