Karnataka plans good playing cards to curb Shakti scheme free bus journey fraud
The Karnataka authorities is making ready to introduce a wise card system for beneficiaries of the Shakti scheme, a transfer designed to tighten verification of free bus journey and forestall misuse of the programme by ineligible passengers, officers mentioned on Sunday.
The proposal follows issues inside the authorities that free journey advantages have been claimed utilizing faux Aadhaar playing cards and different incorrect paperwork, leading to monetary losses. The transport division is creating a verification mechanism that may require beneficiaries to acquire a devoted good card after establishing their eligibility.
Beneath the proposal, a Karnataka voter id card is predicted to change into a key requirement for securing the good card. Candidates would even have to supply their Aadhaar card through the verification course of. Authorities plan to problem the playing cards solely after each paperwork have been verified.
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Every good card will carry the beneficiary’s identify, {photograph}, Aadhaar quantity and residential tackle. The federal government additionally intends to make the playing cards non transferable in order that they can’t be utilized by anybody apart from the registered holder.
The division plans to problem practically 3 crore good playing cards throughout the state. The system is predicted to be launched first on a pilot foundation within the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Company earlier than being expanded to the state’s different highway transport companies.
Officers are additionally contemplating equipping the playing cards with Close to Area Communication expertise. Past enabling free journey on authorities buses, the playing cards can later be built-in with Namma Metro, permitting commuters to make use of a single card throughout completely different modes of public transport.
The proposal comes days after deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar mentioned beneficiaries of state welfare programmes should make sure that their names are included in Karnataka’s electoral rolls.
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Talking at a evaluation assembly at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, Shivakumar mentioned welfare programmes, together with Gruha Jyothi, which offers as much as 200 items of free electrical energy to households, might be out there solely to folks whose names seem on the voter record.
He urged residents to confirm their enrolment through the ongoing Particular Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls.
“Solely these whose names are included within the electoral rolls might be eligible for presidency welfare schemes. Beneficiaries should guarantee their names will not be omitted through the revision course of,” Shivakumar mentioned.
He mentioned the verification train was supposed to forestall misuse of welfare programmes with out affecting eligible recipients. “Our goal is to cease misuse and get rid of ineligible beneficiaries. No deserving citizen ought to undergo on account of this course of,” he mentioned.
