NEW DELHI: Amid the chaos over cancellations of ration cards for lower-income families, the Karnataka government issued a clarification on Thursday and said that only ineligible BPL cards will be revoked.
Karnataka’s food and civil supplies minister KH Muniyappa said that BPL cards will be restored except for government employees and income taxpayers.
The state government’s BPL card revision programme aims to assess current cardholders’ eligibility status to identify ineligible beneficiaries. Minister Muniyappa clarified that a minimal percentage of BPL cards, approximately one to two per cent, have been reclassified as APL cards.
“Today we have decided (that there is) no question of cancelling (the BPL cards). Every card is eligible. They will get the rice after one week. We have got enough money to disburse for the DBT (direct bank transfer). There is no money-related problem. The only thing is that while we are doing this one or two per cent of BPL cards have been converted to APL (Above Poverty Line). That’s why today we have decided, the honourable Chief Minister has taken a decision that all the (BPL) cards must be restored except for government employees and income tax payers,” Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa told ANI.
The statement followed BJP’s opposition to the BPL card cancellation initiative, with demands for the Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies minister’s resignation.
Dismissing BJP’s calls for his resignation, Muniyappa acknowledged it as standard opposition behaviour, stating it was unnecessary.
The minister detailed that BPL cards of tax payers and government employees would be converted, with 4,036 government employee cards revised, 102,509 cards under review, and 8,647 BPL cards cancelled.
Today BJP president BY Vijayendra claimed that overnight Karnataka government has cancelled 12 lakh BPL cards.
“Desperate CM Siddaramaiah is unable to raise the resources to fulfil the guarantees and it is a desperate act by the Chief Minister…They have cancelled more than 12 lakh BPL cards…Before cancelling the BPL cards, proper rules need to be followed. Instead of that, overnight 12 lakh BPL cards were cancelled. They are bringing poor people to the streets. BJP is not in favour of cancelling the BPL cards…” he said while talking to ANI.
On Monday, Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar criticised the BJP for politicising the government’s BPL card review initiative.
In his media interaction, he stated, “We are not taking anyone’s food away. BJP has no other business than politicising. The percentage of BPL card holders in many constituencies is around 90%. My constituency has 90%, and Holenarasipura has 92% BPL card holders. Hence, we need to ensure that genuine and needy people get BPL cards. Some BPL cards have been cancelled after review.”
This statement addressed BJP’s accusations that the government was depriving people of food.
