Date:06/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/06/stories/2009070653590300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Bankers not ready to issue smart cards

Staff Reporter

Officials suspect that of the 4,366 pensioners at least 1,500 of them are bogus

SANGAREDDY: Contrary to the efforts being made by the district administration, the bankers in the district headquarters itself are not coming forward to issue smart cards to pensioners under different government schemes.

As a result, unaccounted amount of money has been falling in wrong hands thereby justice being denied to the genuine persons. As on July 1, there are 4,366 pensioners in Sangareddy alone under different categories.

Officials are suspecting that at least 1,500 of these pensions being drawn were bogus and even the persons themselves might not be existing at all and the amount is being pocketed by ineligible persons.

After issuing smart cards successfully at Sadasivapet, a mandal head quarter, and the officials are able to save a monthly pension amount of Rs. 1.5 lakh per month by weeding out bogus pensioners from the list. Though the officials wanted to repeat the experiment at Sangareddy none of the bankers are coming forward to issue the smart cards. “We tried to convince many of the bankers but none is willing. We will make our efforts again,” said a senior officer in the DRDA.

On other hand, the bankers feel that the opening accounts in the name of pensioners was not a good business deal at all.

“None of the account holder keeps money in the account. The money will be with drawn the movement amount it deposited in the account. We will remain with laborious work of managing large number of accounts and nothing else,” said a bank officials on the condition of anonymity.