Hyderabad
Concerns about data security have emerged in Hyderabad as filled application forms submitted by people to avail benefits under the new Telangana Congress government’s five guarantees were found scattered at different locations. Videos circulated on social media showed individuals carrying bundles of application forms containing sensitive details like Aadhaar number, ration card information, mobile number, and house address. Reports suggest that these individuals were given forms at municipal offices for data entry, raising questions about the handling of private information. In one incident, about 500 filled-in application forms fell out of a carton box being carried by a youth on his two-wheeler, scattering on the road in the Balanagar area. The youth claimed that someone had booked the consignment through a bike taxi, and he was only delivering it. The opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) criticized the Congress government for allowing private individuals to handle applications with vital data, raising concerns about data theft. BRS leaders questioned the seriousness of the government in implementing the guarantees and alleged that applicants were receiving calls asking them to share OTPs sent to their mobile numbers. The state police cautioned people against sharing OTPs with callers claiming to expedite benefits under government schemes, clarifying that no official would call individuals to share OTPs. BRS leaders, in response, raised questions about the alleged leakage of 1.11 crore phone numbers from the applications, highlighting serious data security threats. During the ‘Praja Palana’ public outreach program conducted from December 28 to January 6, more than 1.25 crore applications were received, with over 1.05 crore submitted for availing benefits under the Congress party’s guarantees.
