A clerical error in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district went viral this week after a local farmer was issued an income certificate showing an annual income of mere Rs 3. The document, bearing the tehsildar’s official stamp and signature, has become the headline point among the netizens with the Internet dubbing him as the "poorest man in India".
As the certificate went viral, authorities quickly scrambled to clarify that it was a “clerical error," and went on to issue a new certificate, increasing the original income, reported PTI news agency.
A photograph of the income certificate issued to Ramswaroop (45), a resident of Nayagaon village under Kothi tehsil of Satna district, complete with the tehsildar’s signature, surfaced on social media this week. The document, issued with the signature of the tehsildar, Saurabh Dwivedi, implied that Ramswaroop earned 25 paise a month.
As the pictures of the document went viral, officials came into action and by July 25, a new certificate was issued, reporting that the farmer’s annual income is Rs 30,000, which is Rs 2,500 per month.
“It was a clerical error, which has been corrected. A new income certificate has been issued," Dwivedi clarified, as reported by the news agency.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Congress took to social media to slam the government for creating such a blunder. They shared a post along with the photo of the original certificate, saying that the government is on a mission to make people poor.
“In MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s rule, we discovered India’s poorest man! Annual income: just Rs 3!" the party claimed in its post.
“Isn’t it shocking? A mission to make people poor? Because now the chair itself eats the commission," it alleged.
