Vijayawada: Rules often become a hindrance for successful implementation of good programmes. The Rajiv Swagruha scheme is a testimony to this maxim.

Very few applicants are knocking the doors of eSeva if the number of applications sold is any indication. Officials could sell only 2,055 applications through all the designated eSeva centres in the last two days.

The applicants blame the rules laid down for the scheme for their plight.

Most of them are forced to give up the idea of owning a house as they do not have ration cards and voter ID cards.

Strange predicament

"The rules are ridiculous. I have all the mandatory certificates except the voter ID card. So, I am not eligible for the housing scheme," laments K. Surya Rao of Bhavanipuram.

And, Mr. Surya Rao is not alone in this strange predicament. There are many more like him who are denied the wonderful opportunity of benefiting from the scheme. "The officials did not issue me a ration card till today. Now, I have to face the brunt of it," says V. Raji of Agraharam.

`No complaints'

When contacted, Joint Collector S. Suresh Kumar says: "There could be some people of this category. But, so far, no complaints have been made to me. The people above poverty line (APL), generally, don't come with requisitions for ration cards." In fact, nearly 2,000 `no-ration card certificates' were issued to LPG users when possessing a ration card was made mandatory for getting a refill, he says.

Eligibility

A majority of the ration cardholders are not eligible for the scheme because they have white cards. According to the Revenue Department records, 70 per cent of the ration cards are white.

The applicants should have an annual income of more than Rs. 72,000 to be eligible for the housing scheme.

Local officials say that they have appraised their higher-ups in Hyderabad about the situation.

A decision with regard to the guidelines will be taken very soon.

The last date for the sale of applications is also "likely to be extended" in view of the lukewarm response, sources say.

Officials, however, are hopeful that the situation will improve in a couple of days.

eSeva administrative officer M. Suresh Kumar says that 2,055 applications were sold in last two days.

"There is a good response and many people are enquiring about the scheme. The sale of applications will go up in next two days as the last date is April 5," he says.

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