BENGALURU: After facing backlash from his own party legislators as well as the opposition parties, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Umesh Katti on Monday clarified that there was no change in the eligibility criteria to get Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards.
On Sunday, Katti had asked families who own a television set, refrigerator, two-wheeler or five-acre land to return their BPL cards before March 31, after which the government would conduct a survey and take action. His comments drew criticism from both the ruling party and the opposition, who questioned the logic of linking a TV set or a two-wheeler for measuring the poverty of a family.
Former Chief Minister and Janata Dal (S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president R Ramalinga Reddy urged the government to reconsider any such move. BJP MLA Somashekhar Reddy too questioned the move as it would have an adverse impact on poor families, and warned of protesting against it.
However, the minister made amends by stating that there would be no change in the eligibility criteria that was fixed in March 2017. As per the Government Order issued on March 25, 2017, all government employees, those who own three hectares of dry land or irrigated land in rural areas or a house built on a 1,000 sqft site in urban areas, those who own a four-wheeler for personal use, families with annual income of Rs 1.20 lakh or more or households that consume 150 units of electricity every month are not eligible for getting the BPL cards.
However, the criteria on households using 150 units of electricity was removed from the exclusion criteria on May 20, 2017. Katti said that it has come to the government’s notice that a number of families continue to have BPL cards though they are not eligible. “We request them to return the BPL cards on their own before March 31,” he added. Sources said the government is said to be thinking of bringing in certain changes in the criteria to streamline the system.