The Government of Goa has itself admitted that there are 13,000 bogus beneficiaries under the DSS scheme. Some of these include non-Goans who visit Goa only once a month to collect the money. Who are the current and former MPs and MLAs who verified, certified, and attested the applications of these fake beneficiaries? Why has no action been taken against these elected representatives so far? This is a criminal act, as public money has been misused to build their vote banks. At the very least, they should be named and shamed (if they have any shame at all).
The DSSS application form clearly states that a Gazetted Officer of the Government of Goa can verify, certify, and attest the form. It has now been proved that some MPs and MLAs themselves have helped in this fraud. So why does the Social Welfare Department reject forms attested by Gazetted Officers and insist on signatures only from MPs or MLAs? Why are senior citizens forced to approach MPs or MLAs when some of us do not even wish to see them or meet them? The government should immediately instruct the department to accept forms signed by Gazetted Officers.