BADIN, Nov 1: Hundreds of rain-hit people, who have received Pakistan cards, face trouble in getting cash and conmen swindle them through so-called social workers.

Many of them sell their cards for much less than the Rs10,000 amount to which each card holder is entitled.

Cards are being issued at different branches of Habib Bank in the district after verification by the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra).

Many of the flood affected people could not get the cards for lack of required modifications in their computerised Identity Cards (CNIC).

Many fail to receive the cards because of several reasons, including mismatch of fingerprints with the record of Nadra, expiry of CNICs, married persons shown unmarried in the record and widows who are not described as such in the record.

Mohammad Sharif Kamboh of Chak No. 5, Golarchi, complained that he had been in a queue for three days and when his turn came for receiving the card he was refused on the pretext that his card had expired on Dec 31, 2009.

Noor Mohammad Kumbhar of Khorwah said he could not get the card because according the clerk concerned, his fingerprints did not tally with those on the record.

But the official on the counter, Amjad Ujjan, denied the allegation.

The in-charge of the Habib Bank counter at Golarchi, Behzad Khan, said Nadra had put pressure on the bank and influential persons to issue Pakistan cards to their favourites at the cost of the poor standing in queues.

And there are complaints about snatching of cards by swindlers and criminals.

Khushi Mohammad Gujjar, Muhammad Khan and Muhammad Malik told this correspondent that their cards had been stolen.

Kanji Bheel and Hiryana said that some criminals snatched their cards before they could reach the ATM. They said many suspicious people were seen in queues of the rain-hit people but police did not provide any security.

On the other hand, the affected people who do not know how to draw cash from ATMs fall prey to swindlers who offer to help them.

There are four ATM booths in Badin town where chaotic scenes are witnessed because of rush which causes traffic jam on the Quaid-i-Azam road and Jati Chowk.

This correspondent saw long queues of card holders waiting for their turn to get cash. They usually enter the ATM booths along with their “helpers” who receive some money from them in the name of service charge.

Mohammad Khan Chang said a young had come to help him, but he fled after taking the card.

Some people prefer to sell their cards for less than the money they can draw.

An official of Nadra, Afroze Ali Khan Chandio, said that 235,000 cards had been issued till last Saturday. In all, 270,000 are to be issued in the district.