Hyderabad: The government is taking strong actions to stop middlemen from cheating people when it comes to getting family digital cards. There have been reports that some people in villages and towns were selling fake application forms. To address this, the Civil Supplies Department has started a special drive to monitor and control the spread of these fake applications.
The issue began after the State government launched a pilot project earlier this month in all 119 Assembly constituencies. Rumors started spreading that authorities were accepting applications for these digital cards. The digital card would not only be used for the Public Distribution System (PDS) but also for other government schemes, all through one card. Because of these rumors, some agents began selling fake application forms to make quick money. These fake forms, written in Telugu and showing the government logo and a picture of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, were being shared on social media platforms like WhatsApp. The fake forms looked similar to the Prajapalana applications that were collected earlier this year.
In response to this, officials from the Civil Supplies Department took quick action. “No application has been designed or released by the Civil Supplies Department for applying for a Family Digital Card,” said Civil Supplies Commissioner DS Chauhan.
The pilot project was conducted in all 119 constituencies, including one village and one municipality ward in each area. Within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, 24 constituencies were part of the project, and specific colonies or localities were chosen for the survey. The process of receiving applications was completed by October 7.
To ensure the smooth running of the project, RDO and Zonal Commissioners were assigned to monitor the work in each Assembly constituency. Teams made up of three to four government officers, led by officers of MPDO and MRO rank, visited households to collect details from around 30 to 40 families in each locality. The collected applications were sent for review on October 9, and a report will be submitted to the government by October 10.
This pilot project is part of Telangana’s initiative for a ‘one State, one card’ policy, launched by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on October 3. The goal is to identify all families in the State. Each family will receive a Family Digital Card, with the woman of the household listed as the Head of the Family (HoF). Every family, regardless of income, will get a Family ID after the process is completed.
