75% of people in Chikkamagaluru dist have BPL cards

Even after issuing BPL card, the authority concerned may cross check and can file criminal case against the card holder if the information is found to be false.

CHIKKAMAGALURU: If the number of below poverty line (BPL) cards issued by the Food and Civil Supplies Department are an indication, the number of families below poverty line is increasing year after year in Chikkamagaluru district. At present, the number stands at 8.62 lakh.  Statistics from the department show that 12,460 families under Anna Antyodaya scheme in the district have ration cards. So, about 44,036 people are getting 25 kg of rice and 10 kg of ragi or 35 kg of rice free of cost.

There are 2,52,765 BPL families with 8,19,641 beneficiaries in the district. As against the total population of 11.40 lakh in the district, the number of beneficiaries below poverty line is 8.63 lakh which means about 75% of the population falls in the below poverty line category.  To get a BPL card, the annual income of a person needs to be under 1.20 lakh, which needs to be thoroughly checked and verified by the revenue department. Even after issuing BPL card, the authority concerned may cross-check and can file criminal case against the cardholder if the information is found to be false.

DC Bagadi Gautam told TNIE that increase in number of BPL cardholders shows laxity among revenue officials. Food and Civil Supplies deputy director Maheshwarappa told TNIE that the government has initiated several measures to prevent misuse of income certificates or falsification of data for certificates.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com