Mangaluru: Pointing out that several applications seeking BPL cards since 2017 are pending, Mohammed Monu, president of the Mangaluru Taluk Panchayat, has ordered an acceleration in the process of clearance of applications.

He was chairing the Panchayat general meeting at the Zilla Panchayat Nethravathi auditorium in Mangaluru on Tuesday, when he expressed discomfiture on the inordinate delay in the process. He also, therefore, asked the officials to clear the pending applications soon. Kasturi Panja, Zilla Panchayat vice president; Ibrahim, Zilla Panchayat standing committee president, and Vajrakshi Shetty, member of the Taluk Panchayat, too expressed displeasure over the procrastination by officials.

The officials concerned said that they had received 2,733 applications in 2017 and 1,522 in 2018. They admitted that all the 4,255 applications are pending for clearance.

As the rules on issue of BPL cards have been changed, the applicants have been asked to furnish the suitable documents, the officials explained. The Panchayat members complained that the food inspectors, who are expected to inform people of such changes in rules at the gram sabhas, have not been attending the gram sabhas at all.

Mangaluru Tahsildar Guruprasad said that 4,626 of the 20,748 applications submitted under 94C and 94CC are pending for disposal. The pending applications will be cleared by September-end, he assured.

Konaje Gram Panchayat president Soukar Ali alleged that some panchayat development officers have been rejecting the applications citing strange and vague reasons.
Some members also alleged that the enrolment for the Aadhaar card has not been undertaken in several gram panchayats. They also demanded that sufficient staff members be provided at the registration counters.

Mangaluru Taluk Panchayat vice president Poornima, executive officer in-charge Sadananda, and Moodbidri probationary tahsildar Rashmi were present at the meeting.