Mixer grinders, fans and grinders would be given to three lakh beneficiaries in the third phase before the end of February, of which 15,948 beneficiaries were within the municipal limit, said Minister for Power R. Viswanathan.
Launching distribution of freebies within municipal limit on Nehruji Municipal High School campus here on Thursday, he said that all beneficiaries in panchayats and within the municipal limit would get freebies in phases. Many State governments had been emulating social security and poverty reduction schemes of the Tamil Nadu government, he added.
The Minister announced that all beneficiaries who had assembled at the venue would get freebies but municipal and revenue officials asked all the beneficiaries to leave the hall and come on Sunday to collect the freebies, after the Minister left the venue. They had stock for 15 beneficiaries only. Tokens had been issued to 4,479 beneficiaries in 11, 19, 21, 31, 36 and 42 wards.
More than 600 beneficiaries from three wards, who waited for more than five hours since 8 a.m., got highly irked and started quarrelling with officials.
Function was scheduled to start around 10 a.m. but the Minister reached the spot at 12.25 p.m. only. Beneficiaries had to run from one building to another on the school campus to get freebies.
Many wondered why the councillors and officials had assured them in a misleading way and coerced them to attend the function. “Councillors said that freebies would not be given to those who failed to attend the function,” said S. Murugan, a beneficiary from ward 11.
Many beneficiaries left the venue. When the situation turned worse, officials brought mixis, fans and grinders from a nearby godown and distributed the items to a section of people.
Beneficiaries at Nagal Nagar, who waited since 7.30 a.m., got the freebies after six hours since the Minister reached the venue at around 1.30 p.m.
