Norms relaxed,cash scheme widened

The decision comes after the failure of the government to get 30 lakh beneficiaries,as announced by Mayawati.

In an order issued today,principal secretary of social welfare Balvinder Kumar ordered district magistrates to include landless people who live in thatched-roof houses in the scheme. According to the department’s surveys,there are about 37.49 lakh people in Uttar Pradesh who live in thatched-roof houses and do not own land.

Kumar said,“So far,we have not been able to include this section of people in the scheme,although their number is quite large. But from now on,all landless people living in kuccha houses will get the benefit of the scheme.”

District magistrates have been asked to organise camps over the next two months to select the the beneficiaries and open their bank accounts on the spot. As soon as they are chosen,their first biannual instalment of Rs 1,800 will be deposited in their account.

The MMGAMY is Chief Minister Mayawati’s flagship scheme,which she announced on her birthday on January 15,2010. The scheme promises a monthly pension of Rs 400 for the poor who do not have a BPL card and do not get any pension. Initially,the pension was Rs 300 a month,and the first biannual instalment of Rs 1,800 was released on November 1,2010.

In a review of the scheme conducted by special secretaries in March,it was found that only 19 lakh beneficiaries had been identified. Officials said the Chief Minister wanted 30 lakh beneficiaries within two months.

A senior state government official said,“We had managed to get about 32 lakh people but that became only 29 lakh after verification. When the undeserving were eliminated,the number was reduced to around 16 lakh. Later,3 lakh more people were identified.’’

Kumar said,“The scheme is for the poor and we want to reach out to everyone with no livelihood options. Thus,we have tried to relax the norms and ease the criteria.”