Panaji, November 05: Jose Pereira, 32, and his wife Albertina, 30, of Nerul, Bardez were shocked to find that the government had gifted them two children who are twice their age and citizens of the United Kingdom.
When Pereira collected his ration card after renewal last month, he found that Urban William Paul, 73, and Janet Margo Paul, 65, had been added as his son and daughter on the card.
Pereira said his ration card bearing number BAR/45/422/NRL used to bear his and his wife’s name until he applied for its renewal. “On inquiring with the Nerul panchayat, I was told that a declaration form was submitted to the Bardez mamlatdar’s office seeking the addition of names in my ration card. How can the head of the family be 32-years-old and his wife 30, and their son and daughter 73 and 65-years-old? What is more shocking is that the authorities accepted Urban Paul’s signature in the place where the head of the family has to sign, though he has been shown as the son in the ration card,” said Pereira. The Pereiras and the Pauls live in the same building.
While Pereira owns the ground floor, the Pauls own the first floor. Pereira says Paul borrowed his ration card stating he needed it to complete some formality regarding the residence he purchased. “It appears that during that time he got the name addition done without my knowledge,” Pereira said. Locals say the Pauls use the residence as a holiday home where they spend six months of the year and the other six months are spent in the UK.
Pereira along with Pilerne Citizens Forum called a press conference on Tuesday wherein he said the police had failed to lodge a complaint based on his complaint dated October 30, 2009 though the incident amounts to fraud.
While the Pauls were not available for comment, Porvorim police inspector Devendra Gad said, “We cannot register the complaint as it does not come under us. He should approach the authority that has issued the card.” Bardez mamlatdar Gaurish Sankhwalkar agreed and said the complaint should have come to him.
“Applications are accepted by our inward section and forwarded to the concerned section. The talathi should have checked the facts before issuing the ration card. It is difficult for us to check the facts of each ration card with so many panchayats under us. The talathi should have checked who filed the application. I will have to check the records for the case,” said Sankhwalkar.
Nerul panchayat talathi Veronica Rodrigues who issued ration card said, “I received an application through the civil supplies section of the Bardez mamlatdar’s office to issue a duplicate card to the family as they had lost their old card. While making the new card I made it as per the declaration submitted by them.”
When asked why she issued a card even though the information on the declaration form shows that the son’s and daughter’s age was twice that of the parents, Rodrigues had no explanation. She simply said, “We cannot change what is said in the declaration.”
-Agencies