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Journalism of Courage
Chief Minister Konijeti Rosaiah is devising a new delivery mechanism that ensures that schemes meant for the poor reach them only and are not diverted.
In an interview with The Indian Express,Rosaiah said more than half a dozen schemes launched by the Congress government were exclusively for the poorest of the poor in the state and these needed to be monitored more closely to ensure that only the intended beneficiaries received them.
The low-cost Indiramma (Integrated Novel Development in Rural Areas and Model Municipal Areas) Housing Scheme will be the first one to be monitored using the new delivery mechanism. Allegations that many who built houses with governments financial support were not supposed to be the beneficiaries are troubling. Similarly,there are some discrepancies in Rajiv Arogyashree too. We are devising a mechanism to monitor these schemes which will ensure that only the needy receive them. In fact,Rajasekhara Reddy had mentioned this to me about a month ago and we sat and discussed this one morning. I think it is time to implement it, Rosaiah said.
Undeterred by sluggish movement in the government since Rajasekharas demise,the CM said his first priority was to make sure that none of the governments popular schemes suffered. I am willing to wait. Ministers,MLAs,and officials were in a shock and I understand because it has been a shock to me too. Rajasekhara was more affectionate to me than anyone. Those who are out of mourning have already gone back to work. Once the pace of work picks up,we will start revamping the delivery system which at present is used to take these schemes to the beneficiaries, he added.
Besides improving the audit,physical verification will be called for in case of doubtful cases or those that come through recommendations. Officials who are responsible for scrutinising the applications from beneficiaries will be held responsible if a house or surgery is sanctioned to the wrong person or someone who does not match the beneficiary criteria.
Rosaiah,who was Finance Minister when Rajasekhara was chief minister and still holds the portfolio,has decided to work from his old office only. It is difficult to accept that he is no more, he says. The D block in the Secretariat has now become the Chief Ministers Office while the C block where the CMO was and from where Rajasekhara Reddy functioned wears a deserted look.
Rosaiah has also decided to stay put in his existing residence rather than shift to the CMs official bungalow in Begumpet where YSRs family is residing. He is also not using the CMs official cars,and the CMs Security Group has attached the security convoy to his own car which he has been using as a Finance Minister.
