City fails to keep track of kiosk allottees

Records show that the social welfare department had allotted and handed over possession of 536 kiosks to disabled persons during 1985- 92

The city government’s social welfare department has reportedly not only failed to keep a constant watch on the implementation of its scheme on the allotment of kiosks to disabled persons, but also in recovery of the remaining payment to about 500- odd beneficiaries who were handed over the possession of these kiosks between 1985 and 1992 in the national capital. Investigations have revealed that only 23 of these kiosks were found in use till 2012.

The social welfare department is the nodal agency in the city government for the welfare of disabled persons. The department believes in the fact that “help the differently- abled persons to help themselves.”

Records show that the department had allotted and handed over possession of 536 kiosks to disabled persons during 198592. The kiosks were procured by the department after making payments to the local bodies like the Delhi Development Authority ( DDA), erst- while Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( MCD) and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board ( DSIB).

A senior officer said that each allottee was to deposit ` 1,000 as down payment and balance cost of the kiosk was to be paid in quarterly instalments over 15 years. The allotments were made on the condition that the nonpayment of instalments within three months of the transfer of the kiosk would lead to the cancellation of the allotment and delayed payment would attract 18 per cent interest.

A highly- placed source said that the department itself had ordered an inquiry into these allotments in November 2011. As per the inquiry report submitted in April 2012, files related to guidelines on allotment and posses- sion of kiosks were found missing. The report said that only 133 individual files for allotment of kiosks were available.

In response to public notices in February/ June 2012 by the department, only 97 people had turned up.

Of these 97 people, it was found that only four original allottees were using their kiosks. In other cases, it was found that some kiosks were being used by the relatives of the original allottees, others were being run in partnerships and many had been rented out.