Nellore: In a bid to ensure assigning ration cards and social welfare pension to all the eligible and to end the ordeal of those entitled to the benefits, Nellore district administration has launched an action plan, probably the first of its kind in the state. As per the plan, a special camp has been planned for every mandal and urban local body from November 22 where the authorities collect applications to issue ration cards, pensions, deepam gas connections and SADAREM (Software for the Assessment of Disabled for Access Rehabilitation and Empowerment) certificates.
The camps will include help desks with sufficient manpower to guide the applicants on how to proceed towards the "registration counters." They would also be provide the required applications. Wide publicity is being given at least 2 or 3 clear days in advance with advise to applicants to attend with xerox copies of Aadhaar, family group photo and voter ID card etc,.
Earlier, belying the government's claims over distribution of the ration cards and pension to all the eligible, thousands of people deprived of the benefit would queue up before the Tahsildar offices to apply every time the government decides to issue ration cards and pensions afresh.
Many of the applicants could not get the pension or ration card sanctioned in their name because they failed to submit one or more of the required documents like Aadhaar card, family group photo (in post card size), photocopy of bank account passbook first page, passport size photographs or their voter ID card with the application.
In case of Nellore Municipal Corporation, a different action plan is being prepared that proposes more centres to complete the drive within four days. Divisions will be covered simultaneously in both Nellore Rural Assembly Constituency and Nellore City Assembly Constancy in one day, a senior official said. According a senior official, Revenue Divisional Officers have been entrusted with the task of overall supervision for conduct of camps in mandals and ULBs of their jurisdiction. District and constituency level officers have been monitoring the camps.
The constituency level Special Officers will co-ordinate along with the Mandal level Special Officers within their constituency and monitoring the exercise. The officers concerned have to verify the applications and upload the eligible. Mee Seva and Aadhaar counters are also being set up at the one day camps to carry out corrections to Aadhaar cards and enrol fresh applications wherever necessary. An applicant, A. Venkateswarlu of Nayudupeta said the camp is very helpful to them while pointing to their ordeals in the past to secure ration cards. In-charge collector A. Md. Imtiaz said the exercise is a novel initiative.
