Kalaburagi, Sep 17 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said he has directed officials to crack down on ineligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration cards, and to ensure that genuine beneficiaries are not affected.
When asked by reporters in Kalaburagi about the large number of ineligible BPL card holders in the state, Siddaramaiah said he has given instructions to remove them.
"Eligible people should not be removed. Ineligible should be removed. In case eligible people are left out, they should be added," he said.
The CM's office after a meeting with Food and Civil Supplies department officials, had last week said, as many as 3,65,614 ineligible BPL card holders have already been either removed or reclassified.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, state Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa said that Karnataka has the highest number of BPL cards in the country of about 70-75 per cent, and the revision has to be done as "it is inevitable."
"While revising, those ineligible (for BPL) will be put under APL (Above Poverty Line) category, we will not cancel their cards. During this process, if any genuine BPL holder is shifted to APL by mistake, if they give an application, within 24 hours they will be retained under BPL," he said.
The minister said, there are guidelines from the central government, and they have said that 7 lakh cards that are in BPL, have to be removed.
"Our officials have held a meeting in this regard, I will also have discussions with them. Next month we will open to apply for BPL cards afresh and those who are eligible will be given," he added.