Even as the Telangana government’s Praja Palana programme launched on Thursday for the implementation of six poll guarantees witnessed a huge response from the public, complaints of brokers selling application forms to gullible people taking advantage of the rush poured in.

The brokers sold the free application forms for Rs 50 and Rs 100 to the beneficiaries in many places of the Old City area.

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The Praja Palana programme has been envisaged by the new Congress government to take governance to the doorstep of the public and government officials accepted the applications from the beneficiaries who applied for the six poll guarantees including free electricity, housing and Rs2500 for women.

It will also serve as a comprehensive database for the government of the beneficiaries. The benefits will be available to only those with ration cards. Those who do not have a ration card can also submit applications for the same at the Praja Palana meetings.

Though the application forms were free of cost and could be downloaded easily, brokers in the Old City area were caught on camera selling them to the unassuming public. There were also complaints of the forms being sold at Mee Seva kendras.

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu officially launched his government’s Praja Palana programme in Ibrahimpatnam in Ranga Reddy district today, coinciding with the foundation day of the Congress. Other ministers also launched the programme in their respective districts.

In many places, Opposition MLAs were also present to help beneficiaries submit their applications without hassles. Chief minister Revanth Reddy had released the two-page application form called Abhaya Hastham at the Secretariat yesterday.

The programme, which began today, will continue till 6 January. However, the government said acceptance of application forms will be a continuous process. Officials will visit two villages per day to accept the forms from the people.

The BRS, however, slammed the government for the exercise of submitting fresh applications accusing the Congress government of trying to delay the implementation of the six guarantees mentioned in the poll manifesto of the party till the Lok Sabha polls. The party has all along been saying that the poll promises of Congress were not feasible.