| Khidmat center converted into luxury shop, poor villagers fleeced | | Officials make ‘Bander Baanth’ of Govt facility, admin silent | | AB Sharma
Early Times Report
Reasi, Sept 18: Much against its aim of offering assistance to the people in services like opening bank accounts or access to internet, the government-owned Khidmat Center at Bhambla in Pouni Tehsil here has been converted into a "luxury shop" where poor people are fleeced.
While there's no board outside the Khidmat center, inside this "shop", a government employee, who was supposed to assist people, runs a grocery store where goods are sold at exorbitant prices.
From sale of SIM cards to recharge, the government employee, behaving like shopkeeper, is not only misusing his position, but fleecing those who visit the facility.
While he charges Rs 20 for mere computer scan of documents, per page; for Photostat he charges Rs 3 per page. But the price for processing of eight passport size photographs leaves a hole in your pocket as he charges Rs 150 for the same.
This reporter pretending to be a customer got his pictures developed and the "Khidmat center shopkeeper" said the rates are fixed. When told that Rs 150 was too high for processing of eight pictures, he said, the rates have been fixed by his higher-ups who have share in the deals.
The Early Times team asked him as to why he has not installed Khidmat center hoarding outside the facility center. But the reply was shocking. "When the district administration doesn't pose such questions to me, who are you to ask?" the government employee told Early Times.
He said he was not the sole beneficiary of this Khidmat center but that his seniors have a share in the deals. Some of the visitors waiting for their turn to avail facility said the Khidmat center unduly charges money to provide forms for opening bank accounts though it is needed to be provided free of cost.
"This Kihdmat center has been fleecing us but the government is silent," the people of the area said.
When contacted a senior official in the district administration said the matter would be looked into. |
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