SHIVAMOGGA: MP Renukacharya, political secretary to CM and Honalli MLA, is the latest to question his own party minister on the BPL card criteria. Earlier, BJP MLA Somashekhar Reddy too had questioned the move. On Sunday, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Umesh Katti had asked families who own a television set, refrigerator, two-wheeler or five-acre land to return their BPL cards before March 31.
Renukacharya said Katti’s statement had embarrassed the government. “If there are any people with fake BPL cards, let the minister remove them from the list. The BJP government is pro-poor,” he said. However, Katti has since backtracked on his statement.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said that the rules which were in place prior to 2017, would be in force. “I have asked all deputy commissioners to initiate action against those ineligible people who refuse to return the BPL cards voluntarily. Penalties will also be collected from such people,” he said.