Karnataka: Opposition targets govt on BPL card statement

BENGALURU: Three days after chief minister BS Yediyurappa issued a statement asking the wealthy and government employees to return the below poverty line (BPL) cards they had got, the opposition parties charged the BJP government for indulging in “foolhardy’‘ measures.
On Sunday, JD(S) leader and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy took to Twitter for calling the norms of holding a BPL card as “foolish”.
“Just because farmers have tractors or a person owns a four wheeler, when the government itself is facilitating the purchase of the vehicle for them to till their land or make a living, it does not mean they are rich and wealthy. Is it not foolishness to construe that?” he questioned.
At the other end, KPCC president D K Shivakumar also echoed his foe-turned-friend’s sentiments and said only the needy have held BPL cards.
“Tractors used for tilling the land does not mean the farmer is rich. It is ridiculous and we will fight it if the government asks them to return the BPL cards,” said the Kanakapura MLA.
However, justifying the government stance, food and civil supplies minister K Gopalaiah said the rules of asking the farmers who own tractors and four wheelers is not new and existed even during the Congress and coalition regime period.
“Why would a farmer having up to 7.5 acres of land use a tractor on a permanent basis? We have informed the department that farmers having land holdings of up to 7.5 acres need not surrender the BPL cards. Further, even those who run vehicles on rent, have been exempted,” said the minister.
Gopalaiah said the government estimated as much as 12 percent of the 1.20 lakh BPL cards holders are not eligible to come under the poverty line.
“Till date, we have seen only 86 to 87 percent of ration being distributed as opposed to the BPL cards that suggest 12 to 13 percent of people owning BPL cards are affluent or government employees. Only during lockdown we saw a spike of up to 95 per cent. Even if we take these numbers then at least 6 lakh bogus BPL cardholders are present,” he said.
Gopalaiah said the government has given time to the people to return the BPL cards by June 30, failing which action will be initiated against them.