Watch: Praja Palana applications fly on the road in Hyderabad

A video of people questioning a private employee reportedly working for a bike taxi app after the Praja Palana applications got scattered on the Balanagar flyover, has gone viral.

Hyderabad: Several Praja Palana applications, on which the dreams and aspirations of several hundreds of people depended, were found scattered and flying in the wind on the streets in the city on Monday and Tuesday, posing a serious question on the measures by the State government to ensure security of public data and to ensure benefits from the Praja Palana programme to the public.

On Monday, many applications were found scattered on the Balanagar flyover while being transported by private people while on Tuesday, the manner in which the applications were being handled came under question when students were seen carrying the applications for uploading the same online in Qutbullapur.

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With videos of both incidents going viral on different social media platforms, concerns are being raised over security of the data entered by applications in the application forms. Following the uproar over the Balanagar incident, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Commissioner Ronald Rose on Tuesday suspended Hayathnagar Tax section Superintendent M Mahender for negligence in transporting the applications.

The incident first came to light when the video of people questioning a private employee reportedly working for a bike taxi app after the Praja Palana applications got scattered on the Balanagar flyover went viral.

The applications belonged to the Kukatpally area and the private employee was heard saying he was coming from the ECIL area.

Perplexed over the employee’s explanation, the people wondered how the applications, which are supposed to be in the safe custody of officials, were being handled irresponsibly by private firms.

On Tuesday, the second video surfaced in which students were seen carrying bundles of Praja Palana applications on their two wheelers. In the video, the students were heard saying that officials from Qutbullapur Municipal office had offered them the applications for uploading online.

All this happened after the State government on Monday announced that a cabinet sub-committee was constituted on implementation of the Six Guarantees for which the Praja Palana applications were filed by the people.

“1.11 crore applicants’ phone numbers, Aadhaar numbers are not safe. Is Congress serious about the five guarantees forms? Is poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu team managing the data? How did data reach cyber criminals?” former TSMDC chairman M Krishank asked on X.

Bhatti says no breach, no issues

However, making light of the incidents, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu said the applications might have fallen on the road while being transported by the people.

“The applications were distributed all over the State and it was natural that they appear on the roads. If the applications were strewn all over, they would be picked up and rearranged,” he said.

On the people’s concerns about data breach, the Deputy Chief Minister said there was no breach. People, who lacked houses and were not getting pensions, had submitted applications sharing all the details in public domain and there was nothing wrong in it, he said.

“Are cybercrime criminals calling people and assuring pensions and constructing houses? We have no objection. That is not an issue,” Bhatti Vikramarka said.