Cheques distributed to beneficiaries sans signature taken back

Yavatmal(Maha), Jan 16(PTI) Cheques distributed to 35poor beneficiaries by Maharashtra''s Social Justice MinisterShivajirao Moghe at a function on Saturday did not bearsignatures and were taken back after the Minister left thevenue, sources said today.

Beneficiaries said they have been promised that chequescarrying signature of the authorised person would be issued tothem on Monday.

According to a beneficiary Prabhakar Wankhede, a publicfunction was held at Ghatanji near here and 35 beneficiariesof the Indira Awas Yojana were handed over cheques at thehands of the Minister Shivajirao Moghe who was in the townover the weekend.

The beneficiaries, the poor farm labourers carrying BPLcards, reached the venue of the function at the cost of theirday''s wage.

After the function, some of the beneficiaries happened tonote the lacuna and mentioned it to the Block developmentOfficer who immediately recollected the cheques from all ofthem and promised that the same would be given back to them onMonday.

When contacted, BDO of Ghatanji, Uttam Ade, however, saidthat only five beneficiaries were given the cheques at thehands of the minister. He also argued that the cheques weretaken back as they were given without taking any receipt fromthe beneficiaries.

''Since the Minister was in the town, we thought ofdistributing the cheques to the beneficiaries through him. Thecheques were prepared post haste and distributed sanssignature," he further said.