VISAKHAPATNAM: The children in two remote tribal villages — Boddu Mamidi and Nitta Mamidi in Guduturu panchayat — are a happy lot now as they finally got Aadhaar cards. A five-member team led by Appalaswamy, deputy tahsildar of G Madugula mandal, visited Nitta Mamidi and a mobile Aadhar centre was set up to issue cards to the children.
In response to a report published in these columns on November 12 (No Aadhar, no Anganwadi benefit for tribal kids), an ICDS team from G Madugula visited Boddu Mamidi and Nitta Mamidi hilltop villages as per the direction of ITDA PO R Gopalakrishna. The team, in its report, had recommended setting up of a mini Anganwadi centre for the benefit of children and women in the two villages. Panchayat secretary Srinivasa Rao accompanied by the sarpanch also visited Nitta Mamidi and Boddu Mamidi villages to issue date of birth certificates to children, ahead of setting up the Aadhaar centre.
Now, a revenue team, including three VROs, went to the villages and issued Aadhaar cards which will enable the children to get all government schemes, including ration from civil supplies department and food under the Poushtikahara scheme.
Speaking to TNIE, the deputy tahsildar said they issued Aadhar cards to 58 children from Nitta Mamidi and Neyyala Banda villages on Friday and 52 Aadhar cards were issued to children in Boddu Mamidi on Saturday.
The deputy tahsildar along with a revenue inspector and three VROs visited the village on Friday. It took two hours to reach Nitta Mamidi, where the mobile Aadhaar centre was set up. The officials completed the issuance of Aadhar cards to the children of Nitta Mamidi, Neyyalabandh and Boddu Mamidi.
Appalaswamy said they also visited Bandula Paluku to collect data. The officials made a series of visits to issue Aadhaar cards following the directions of District Collector A Mallikharjuna, ITDA PO R Gopalakrishna and sub-collector Abhishek.
Appalaswamy said he stayed at Nittamamidi at night and returned only the next day. “The tribal villagers do not have basic facilities and it is difficult to lay roads since they are hilltop villages. The tribals are drinking spring water,” and Appalaswamy said and submitted a report to the MPDO stressing the need to chlorinate the water source. Rice and food were being supplied to them from Vedurupalli mini Anganwadi.
Meanwhile, honorary president of the 5th Schedule Sadhana Committee Govinda Rao and villager K Prasad thanked the officials for issuing Aadhaar cards to the children.