Spandana disappoints this leprosy patient who needs doctor certificate

Ragula Venkanna (54) of Krishna Lanka in the city attended the Spandana programme on Monday with a hope of getting a doctor certificate to avail of welfare benefits for the disabled.
People submitting their petitions at the Spandana programme in Vijayawada on Monday | P Ravindra Babu
People submitting their petitions at the Spandana programme in Vijayawada on Monday | P Ravindra Babu

VIJAYAWADA:  Ragula Venkanna (54) of Krishna Lanka in the city attended the Spandana programme on Monday with a hope of getting a doctor certificate to avail of welfare benefits for the disabled. After entering the premises of Sub-Collector’s Office in the city, he spent over 30 minutes going here and there due to lack of proper guidance to represent his grievance. Though his son wrote a petition for him, he was asked to put a thumb impression or signature on it. But he was unable to do it as he is a leprosy patient and his fingers deformed. After a two hour wait, he left the venue disappointed as he was asked to apply online at Mee Seva centre.

Speaking to TNIE, Venkanna said, “It has been three years since I have been affected with leprosy. I visited the government hospital for a doctor certificate, they told me to come again. When I visited the hospital again, the doctor asked me how much can I pay? I told him that I can give Rs 1,000 only, but he demanded `2,000. That is quite a big amount for me, so I left. Now, with a ray of hope, I attended Spandana. The officials asked me to go to Mee Seva centre and apply online.”

G Venkataramana showing the receipt after
submitting a petition

DMHO I Ramesh said, “He was cured of leprosy. But still he can be termed disabled as his hands and legs got deformed. All he has to do now is to go to a Mee Seva centre and get enrolled as disabled. After getting the disabled certificate, he can apply for pension.”

Venkanna works as a cleaner of drums at an oil trader and gets `15 per drum. He has a son and a daughter, who look after him. Asked about his experience at Spandana, Venkanna said,  “There seems to be some confusion. No one guided me properly. If there is a help desk or a special cell at Spandana, it will be helpful to old people and the disabled.” 

Gedela Venkataramana (37), a widow from Vuyyuru, attended Spandana as her application for ration card was rejected four times because her status was not correctly mentioned in Praja Sadhikara Survey. She wants to get a ration card and widow pension. “I applied for ration card four times during the last five years and the application was rejected every time.

Later, I came to know that there was an error pertaining to my status in Praja Sadhikara Survey. When I approached the tahsildar, he told me that the error was corrected. But when I applied for pension, it was rejected. So I came to attend Spandana as a last resort. The officials responded to my petition and assured to get it solved in a few days,” Venkataramana told TNIE.

V Shyamala (name changed) from Satyanarayanapuram came up with a petition seeking solution to the drainage and drinking water problems in the local municipal school where her two daughters are studying.
“I complained to the school headmistress several times in this regard, but she took no steps to resolve the problems. Though the teaching is good, the facilities are very poor in the school, which are affecting the health of students. I waited almost three hours at spandana, which was very badly organised. All I want is a healthy environment for children studying in the municipal school,” said Shyamala with tears in her eyes.

Grievances will be redressed within four days, says CP
Vijayawada: City Commissioner of Police Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao held the Spandana programme at his office on Monday. As many as 13 complaints were received during the programme. After receiving petitions from people, the CP directly spoke to the station officers concerned and directed them to resolve the grievances immediately.      Some petitions were related to long pending land disputes. Some others directly approached the CP seeking resolution of their family disputes.  The CP said all the grievances received during Spandana would be resolved within four days and the same would be intimated to the petitioners through a phone message.

“Soon after receiving the petition, we have initiated action by assigning the matter to the station house officer concerned for immediate redressal. There will be no delay in ensuring justice to the petitioners if their claims are genuine,” said the Police Commissioner. He also said that petitions related to financial disputes should have clarity and urged people not to file false cases in the name of ‘call money harassment’.  Krishna District Superintendent of Police M Ravindranath Babu received 24 petitions from people during Spandana held at Machilipatnam. The SP promised to ensure speedy justice to the petitioners. People of Nandigama and Nuzvid subdivisions can approach him at the SP camp office in Vijayawada for redressal of their grievances, the SP said.

Hundreds of petitions received
The Spandana programme evoked a good response from people in Vijayawada on Monday. A large number of people turned up at the Sub-Collector’s office to submit their petitions. People started arriving at the Sub- Collector’s office from 9 am itself. The officials started receiving petitions from 9.30 am. Lack of proper system to provide information to people, led to some confusion as people had to go here and there.

Due to lack of special counters for senior citizens and the disabled, they faced severe inconvenience while standing in long queues. Speaking to TNIE, Krishna District Collector Md Imtiaz said, “The response from people to the Spandana programme is really good. There are a few issues which need to be addressed. We are issuing receipts to complainants, assuring that their grievances will be resolved at the earliest.”

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