Fake agency cheats 5,000 senior citizens

Mangalore, February 20: When the State government has made apposite arrangements for the distribution of senior citizen identity cards to elderly citizens of the State, some of the unauthorised organisations and individuals are deceiving the public by distributing invalid cards.

The State government had shifted the responsibility of distributing senior citizen cards from the Federation of Senior Citizen's Forum Bangalore to five organisations in the district namely, Senior Citizens Association in Mangalore taluk, Sthree Shaktigala Okkuta in Bantwal taluk, Pensioners Association in Belthangady taluk, Parivarthana Seva Trust in Puttur and Vision Charitable Trust in Sullia taluk. These organisations distribute the card to the needy with a minimum charge of Rs 25 and almost 14,000 senior citizens have received cards from the Mangalore's Senior Citizen Association alone.

But an agency called Senior Citizens and Backward Classes Organisation which claims itself as a part of Bangalore's Federation of Senior Citizen's Forum, is cheating the public by distributing invalid cards. Theorganisation led by the proprietor Prakash Poojari is unnecessarily grabbing money from the uninformed people, by charging Rs 65 for card registration and additional Rs 70 for postal charges.

Citizens complain

A letter written by senior citizen Jerome Pinto from Aikala addressing the Senior Citizens' Association President, complains that the senior citizen's card he received from the agency is invalid. “I'm not receiving any of the benefits that I was supposed to get from the card. The Senior Citizens and Backward Classes Organisation members have misguided me. They had assured me of providing pension too, which I have not received so far,” the letter says.

Parivarthana Seva Trust (Puttur) Managing Director Akshav Alva said his organisation thas received more than 20 complaints from the rural public about the fraud committed by Prakash Poojari. “Poojari's work area was limited to Mangalore city few months back but now he has moved out of the city and has mostly cheated the public in Puttur, Belthangady and Vitttal,” said Alva. If the card issued by the authorised associations contain the signature and seal of the Women and Child Welfare Department, the bogus card does not contain the authorised signature.

'Card is valid'

When contacted Bharati who herself introduced as Poojari's Secretary said the cards issued by their agency is valid. “If you need the card, pay Rs 65 initially and then send a DD of Rs 70. We have already distributed 5,000 cards in DK district and it is valid,” she stated.

Meanwhile, the District Disabled and Senior Citizens Welafre Officer Puttaswami Gowda said, none of the organisation or agencies which distribute senior citizens cards except the five authorised associations in the district are legal. All those who have been cheated and the five organisations can complain about the fraud to the respective Tahsildars, following which the action will be taken, he assured.