ADILABAD: A day after Mancherial MLA N Diwakar Rao distributed cheques worth Rs 19.02 lakh to 19 beneficiaries of the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme, the beneficiaries allege that the cheques had lapsed as more than three months had passed since they were issued.
The Revenue officials on Wednesday organised an event to distribute the cheques to the beneficiaries of the scheme, which is aimed at curbing child marriages, at the tahsildar’s office in Dandepalli mandal of Mancherial district on Wednesday. However, when the beneficiaries went to the bank to deposit the cheques on Thursday, bank staffers refused to do so citing that three months and six days had passed since they were issued, making them invalid.
It was learnt that the Mancherial Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) issued the cheques and asked tahsildars to collect them after identifying the beneficiaries. However, a number of tahsildars had delayed the process, sources said. After procuring the cheques, officials had to finalise the date of the distribution programme with the local MLA, depending on the latter’s schedule, sources said, adding that beneficiaries were suffering due their apathy.
Earlier, a number of beneficiaries had taken up the issue of delay in the disbursal of cheques with the RDO, who reportedly told them that the cheques had already been sent to mandal-level officials.On Thursday, a number of beneficiaries demanded that the government issue fresh cheques while adding that they would resort to agitations if the process isn’t carried out at the earliest.
MRO’s assurance
Speaking to TNIE, Dhandapelli MRO P Hanumath Rao said: “The MLA handed over a few cheques to some beneficiaries before leaving for another programme. There was no way he could have checked the issue dates on the cheques. I was also not present at the ceremony and our junior assistant attended the event.”The MRO, however, assured that all the beneficiaries will be presented with new cheques on Friday. Repeated attempts by TNIE to reach Mancherial RDO for his comments went in vain.