Thousands of people thronged to Yelahanka tahsildar’s office on Thursday demanding income certificates to get below poverty line (BPL) cards. However, they lost their temper when they found that there was only one counter to issue the certificates.
Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department on July 12, issued a circular that all the temporary BPL card holders have to submit income certificates (whose yearly income is less than Rs 15,000) before July 30, without which they cannot buy rations from fair price shops.
In Bangalore, there are at least 16 Nemmadi Kendras (centres) in various tahsildars’ offices and over 70 BangaloreOne centres where income certificates are issued. In Yelahanka hobli, these certificates are issued at the tahsildar’s office.
According to Rajashekhar, a resident of Jakkur, there are 146 villages under this region. There are more than 1.5 lakh people who are eligible for BPL cards. But here there is only one counter to issue certificates. “Only two people are here to do this job. The server is down. The power cut is frequent and there is no UPS service too. But the department has given 15 days from July 12, to submit the certificates. With less time, aspirants are confused and anxious. They are standing in long queues for hours together leaving their daily work. Some people are sleeping overnight at the tahsildar’s office braving biting cold, to collect the certificates,” he said.
Further, Rajashekhar said the department should give at least three months to submit income certificates.
“Also at the Nemmadi Kendras and the tahsildar office, they should open more counters so that the citizens spend less time,” he added.