Deluged with complaints on KMUT scheme, claim officials

VELLORE: The announcement of inclusion of those left out of the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam (KMUT) scheme and option for appeal has resulted in officials of banks, Vellore Corporation and district administration being at the receiving end of a deluge of complaints. Most pertaining to many ineligible beneficiaries receiving the government’s dole.

E-seva centres face another problem of having to explain how the system works, specially, when officials in the above three categories getting complaints ask complainants to file complaints through the e-seva centres.

An official, operating the help desk at the Vellore Collectorate said, “most of the complaints were about those ineligible getting the Rs 1,000. What angered the public was that this amount would be paid every month. The number of complaints would have been less if this was a one-time payment.”

Elaborating, he said, “a beneficiary complained that a person with 4 houses was now receiving the money in Vellore town while another stated that a person drawing a pension of Rs 25,000 every month was also a KMUT beneficiary. We placate them and ask them to complain through the e-seva centres.”

In another case when a beneficiary complained of non-receipt of the dole despite eligibility, a check revealed that it had been sent to his post office account. But, the beneficiary refused to accept this saying he had no post office account. As beneficiary data was collected from the central government it has all details of a person, which most refused to accept when this was pointed out, the official said.

Banking woes

For banks, the problem was overcrowding by KMUT beneficiaries, who turned up in large numbers on receipt of the SMS, to withdraw the amount due to “rumours that banks would deduct the money,” a bank official said. Banks, deducting various charges from KMUT amount was due to bank computers being configured thus, sources said. Only if a separate account was started for KMUT would such funds not be touched.

Bank officials have informed the state of this after Minister Thangam Thennarasu warned them against deducting KMUT money for other services.