Distribution of smart cards is going on at a snail’s pace in Anantapur district.

Government started issue of smart cards in June 2010 for payment of welfare pensions and salaries under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), to eliminate corruption. It appointed an organisation, Fino, to distribute smart cards.

The rural development ministry specified that all payments from February should be made only through smart cards.

The ministry said that the permission of the project director, District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) is mandatory for payment of pension and wages to those not having smart cards.

In Anantapur district, smart cards were intended to be given to 6,32,808 persons under the MGNREGS. Of them, only 4,47,323 persons have enrolled for issue of smart cards.

Of those enrolled, cards were only given to 3,84, 486 persons and of them only 2,51,000 cards were activated. Payments are being made to only 1,03,337 through smart cards.

For welfare pensions, smart cards were intended to be issued to 3,97, 234 persons.

Of them, only 3,04,270 persons enrolled for cards. Of them, smart cards were issued to only 2,57, 241 persons, only 1,70,756 cards were activated and pensions are being paid to 1,57,172 persons through smart cards.

About 7.5 lakh beneficiaries are getting pensions manually in the district. Fino representatives say that they will issue cards to all beneficiaries by March 2012; this appears to be doubtful.