Touts make a killing as 2bhk hopefuls throng Collectorate

Roadside vendors and internet centres are doing a roaring business by exploiting the situation

Hyderabad: Touts are making brisk business by downloading online forms and filling applications of thousands of homeless poor who have been turning turn up at Rangareddy district collectorate to submit forms for 2BHK houses, even though there is no official communique from government inviting fresh applications for housing.

Seizing the opportunity, roadside vendors and internet shops in the vicinity fleeced hundreds of poor people by raking in small amounts in the name of supplying genuine forms, a photo copy of the housing form and filling all columns in the required format. It is said that each applicant was being forced to shell out Rs 50 to Rs 200 as charges for filling the form.

An applicant from Medchal, G Kalyani, said it cost her Rs 80 to complete the whole process of submitting the application. “Shops nearby are charging for forms, supplying photo copies and even for filling forms for illiterate citizens. Some are charging Rs 100- 150,” she said.

Some of the touts were seen coordinating with officials to provide special services to citizens willing to submit forms directly to the officials concerned as applicants were not being allowed to enter the Collectorate to seek clarifications on 2BHK houses. They were seen collecting Rs 200 as charges for submitting forms directly to the officials concerned.

Though the district administration had not received any formal instruction for accepting forms, officials installed several counters in the parking area of the Lakdikapul Railway Station, adjacent to the Collectorate. The district administration installed mandal-wise counters to receive applications.

District joint collector Rajat Kumar Saini clarified that though they did not invite applications for 2BHK houses, thousands of eligible people with white ration cards had been turning up at the Collectorate. "We have been accepting their applications to keep them satisfied as they have been coming here from long distances,” he said.

Meanwhile, the scenario is calm at the Hyderabad district with constables deployed at the entrance sending away applicants urging them to return after some time as GHMC officials had declared that the applications would be accepted only after the formation of ward committees.