State wants to give more weightage in selection of beneficiaries
Hyderabad: Local MLAs are set to get more priority in the selection of beneficiaries for various government schemes in their constituencies. Recommendation letters issued by local MLAs will get priority over others for issuance of Deepam LPG connections, ration cards, pensions, loans for self help groups, health cards etc.
Recently, the MLAs were accorded powers to select beneficiaries for 2BHK houses. The TRS government has decided to give more weightage to MLAs in selection of beneficiaries after the latter brought to the notice of the party leadership that the TRS was not getting the intended political mileage from the welfare schemes despite the government spending nearly Rs 30,000 crore per year on them.
The MLAs had pointed out that none of the applicants for welfare schemes was approaching the MLAs seeking the benefits or for any other assistance and they were instead directly approaching the government offices and the officials concerned for the purpose.
“The present system is giving an impression among the public that the ruling party was doing nothing and they were getting benefits directly from the state government or the Centre. The chances of duplications or some eligible beneficiaries not getting the benefits are also more in this system. As MLAs, we have direct contacts with people. If applications are forwarded through MLAs, the chances of eligible people not getting the benefits are remote. The government anyway has an inspection mechanism, wherein officials can take up door-to-door verifications to weed out bogus beneficiaries, if any,” said TRS MLA V. Prashanth Reddy.
The MLAs had also put forth a demand before Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao recently to approve applications under the CM’s Relief Fund to claim financial assistance for medical treatment only if they were recommended by the local MLA.
At present, any minister, MLA or MLC can issue a recommendation letter for CMRF for anyone irrespective of their jurisdiction. Local MLAs are complaining that the ruling party was not getting the credit despite giving up to Rs 3 lakh each to beneficiaries under CMRF as they were being approved without their consent and knowledge in their constituency. Ruling party MLAs argue that there is nothing wrong in expecting political mileage in return for the welfare schemes being implemented by the ruling party by spending nearly Rs 30,000 crore per year despite severe financial constraints.
Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.
