Visakhapatnam: Serpentine queues are being witnessed at the district legal services authority centres at Vizag, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam, where depositors in the scam-hit firm Agri Gold, waited under the hot sun, hoping for justice.
While there have been thousands of depositors reaching the DLSA centres from various mandals each day, officials are able to verify applications of only a few hundred.
In February, the state government issued a GO to disburse Rs 250 crore among the victims who had deposited less than Rs 10,000 in Agri Gold. There are more than seven lakh such depositors across the state. After verifying all the documents at DLSA centres, the amount will be credited into the bank accounts of such depositors.
The DLSA centres had announced the dates to receive applications from the depositors mandal-wise in each district. The depositors are required to bring along their original deposit bonds, bank passbook, Aadhaar and two passport size photographs and submit them along with sets of photocopies. However, there was a delay in the schedule due to the overcrowded centres.
Initially, Srikakulam DLSA centre was scheduled to verify the applications up to March 8. Providing relief to the depositors, it was decided to extend the date to March 11 for the verification of the bonds and other documents. Agri Gold victims in other districts are also seeking similar changes to the respective schedules given earlier.
Victims from Vizianagaram district staged a protest on Saturday demanding the DLSA to increase the number of counters and expedite the verification of documents as it will remain close for the following two days. Police personnel tried to bring the situation under control at the centre but in vain.
Vizag DLSA also announced the victims to submit their documents for verification mandal-wise by March 8. However, people from distant places continue to suffer, finding it tough to submit their applications on the respective dates.
“As I did not bring my bank passbook, my application was not verified. I have to return and get the documents,” said S. Yamuna, a depositor who came to city from Araku.
