HYDERABAD: The Gruha Lakshmi scheme, designed to provide a cash benefit of Rs 3 lakh to women beneficiaries, has generated dissatisfaction among eligible recipients due to the stringent application timeline and document requirements set by the State government.
The limited three-day window for application submission, along with a mere two-day notice, has proved to be a hurdle for beneficiaries who struggle to acquire the necessary documentation within the stipulated period. The submission deadline in several districts is set for Thursday. The application process has become burdensome due to the government’s insistence on obtaining all necessary documents under the applicant’s (woman’s) name.
Authorities are requesting caste and income certificates, along with proof of vacant plots, National Food Security Act (NFSA) ration cards and Aadhaar cards. This demand has resulted in eligible applicants, numbering in the thousands per Assembly constituency, rushing between government offices to procure the required paperwork. Numerous applicants have been unable to complete their submissions within a span of less than a week.
For instance, in the Warangal West Assembly constituency, 68 applications were received on the initial day, followed by 516 on the second day, totalling 584 applications. Similarly, in the Wardhannapet Assembly constituency, only 1,044 applications have been received with just a single day remaining for submission.
This contrasts starkly with the thousands of individuals still aspiring to own homes, as the State government aims to extend benefits to 3,000 beneficiaries in each Assembly constituency. The opposition Congress criticised the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, terming it as a ‘mere political ploy and unfeasible in practice’.
Party spokesperson Sama Ram Mohan Reddy denounced the timing of the scheme’s announcement, highlighting that the government kept it confidential despite issuing a GO in June. He suggested that the sudden release of the scheme was a calculated strategy, hinting that the government might not genuinely intend to implement it.
Mohan said the impracticality of obtaining the necessary land documents in just two days, particularly when they need to be in the name of women applicants. In response to the concerns voiced by eligible applicants and the Opposition, R&B Minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy assured individuals without land titles in areas designated as village common land (Gramakantam) that there’s no need to panic. He reassured applicants that they could submit their applications to Collectors, indicating that the process is an ongoing one. (With inputs from Warangal)