As families affected by reclassification of BPL cards struggle, BJP claims that Congress cares only about reducing its financial burden.
Published Nov 26, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 28, 2024 | 3:55 PM
Opposition leader R Ashoka and BJP MLA K Gopalaiah met families affected by reclassification (Supplied)
“Where will I get money to pay income tax when we struggle to make ends meet?” Mangala, a resident of Mahalakshmi Layout in Bengaluru and the sole breadwinner of her family asked.
She was shocked to discover that her family’s Below Poverty Line (BPL) card was reclassified as an Above Poverty Line (APL) card. As a result, she was denied her monthly ration when she went to the Public Distribution System (PDS) shop. When asked why, officials told her that it is because she “pays Income Tax”.
“I barely make ends meet. I make happala for a living. My father used to run an eatery but can’t anymore due to health issues,” she told South First. She rushed to the food department to understand the reasons behind the reclassification. Mangala did not get a proper response and was directed to speak to other officials.
She and many others in her predicament are frustrated with the Karnataka government’s recent decision to reclassify BPL cardholders as APL cardholders “without any intimation.”
In stark contrast, families that are well to do, earn in lakhs and own several vehicles continue to hold and use their ‘BPL’ cards. While weeding out ineligible BPL cards is a much-needed step, the poor are becoming collateral damage.
While the Congress government defends the move and insists that only ineligible beneficiaries are being reclassified, the decision has angered many, especially those who rely on these cards for their basic needs.
The Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs (DFCS&CA) has claimed that the reclassification is based on data available online with e-governance, which looks at the financial and social status of BPL cardholders and not based on field work.
The move from the government has drawn sharp backlash, including strong opposition from political rivals. BJP claimed that the Congress is taking decisions targeting the poor to reduce the financial burden the government is facing owing to its five guarantee schemes.
These schemes include Gruha Lakshmi, which offers ₹2,000 per month to women, and Anna Bhagya, which provides 5 kg of rice each month.
Ratna, employed as a private school attender and resident of Mahalakshmi Layout, was devastated when her BPL card was reclassified as APL. “I’m the only one supporting my family, my son is still studying, so unemployed and my husband died several years ago,” she explains.
“We used to depend on rice and ragi provided by the PDS shop. Now, I don’t know how to manage,” she said about her hardship to South First. The thought of taking care of her family’s basic needs while earning barely anything confounds Ratna.
Asked whether she was able to figure out the reasons behind reclassification from officials, she said: “I work in private school, do not fall under the Income Tax slab and income does not exceed more than ₹1.25 lakh. I do not meet any of the criteria for cancelling my card.”
Ratna approached the relevant officials but was disappointed by their lack of cooperation. They directed her to higher authorities. Despite meeting the eligibility criteria, her card was reclassified. Now,”it is up to either my son or myself to resolve the issue,” she said, expressing her dismay at the government’s actions.
“BPL card is the need of the hour for our family not just because of ration items but also because of how we benefit from guarantee schemes,” Mangala pointed out. Although she does not always receive Gruha Lakshmi benefits, she is worried about being excluded from the list of beneficiaries altogether.
Despite the state government’s efforts to reclassify ineligible BPL (Below Poverty Line) ration cards, thousands of individuals continue to hold these cards, even though their financial status is significantly better than the eligibility criteria.
An engineer by profession, Ashwath Banagar (name changed) comes from a family that earns approximately ₹ 1.15 lakh per month. His family owns a fabric shop in Koppal’s district headquarters. This family also dwells in a duplex house and has three two-wheelers.
Despite their income pegged at ₹ 1.5 lakh per month, the family hold a BPL (Below Poverty Line) card and continues to benefit from government schemes intended for those in need.
Ashwath Banagar admits to South First: “”I admit that our family has been holding a BPL card for the past twenty years. While our financial condition has improved in recent years, we initially obtained the ration card when our family’s financial situation was not stable. My mother continues to procure rice and other groceries from the PDS shop. We primarily use the ration rice to prepare dishes like Dosa, as its quality is too poor to consume as rice.”
When questioned about holding a BPL card despite improved finances, he responded: “We have not faced any issues from anyone so far. If the government decides to cancel our BPL card, we have no objections. But we will not voluntarily hand it over until they take action.”
He emphasised that his family had not applied for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme.
Another family in Gadag district continues to hold a BPL card and benefit from it, despite having two software engineers in the family earning lucrative salary of lakhs in a month. The family also owns cars, a house, two properties they have rented out, and two-wheelers.
“Neither the PDS shop nor the officials have ever questioned us about holding the ration card. We obtained the BPL card about fifteen years ago when our financial condition was poor, and we still use it to avail of benefits. Our card has not yet been reclassified,” Mallikarjun Hiremath, a retired engineer, whose sons are employed as software engineers in Bengaluru, told South First.
On ineligible families still possessing BPL cards, a DFCS&CA’s official told South First: “It is true that thousands of families, who are now financially better off, continue to hold ration cards. However, these families initially received the cards when they met the criteria for BPL status. With the help of e-governance, and the data we have access to now, we are reclassifying ineligible cards in phases.”
The official stressed that this process is not new and that the exercise is conducted annually to remove ineligible card holders.
Ever since reports over BPL cards getting cancelled emerged, the opposition leaders have been coming down heavily on the Siddaramaiah-led state government.
While defending the move, Karnataka government officials say that they are targeting only government employees, income taxpayers, and those exceeding the income eligibility limit. The CM, Dy CM and other ministers also ‘clarified’ amid criticism that they aren’t cancelling the cards but only reclassifying them.
Notably, on Thursday, 21 November, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs KH Muniyappa told reporters in Bengaluru that 1,02,509 BPL cards have been reclassified so far based on the CM’s directions.
Meanwhile, an official from the DFCS&CA, who didn’t want to be named, revealed to South First: “The e-governance system, which holds digital data of beneficiaries, has identified approximately 20 lakh ineligible BPL cardholders in the state.”
A senior DFCS&CA oofficial further said, “The primary goal of reclassifying BPL cards is to ensure that government programmes and benefits reach eligible individuals. This reclassification process is annual, not a new initiative.”
The official continued, “If 20 lakh BPL cards are reclassified to APL, those individuals will automatically lose access to guarantee schemes, as APL cardholders are entitled to fewer benefits than BPL cardholders.” However, the official declined to comment on the financial implications of the ongoing reclassification process.
Channabasappa V Kodli, Deputy Director of DFCS&CA in Dharwad, spoke to South First about the categories based on which cards are being reclassified.
Kodli stated that 45 government employees’ BPL cards have been reclassified to APL in Dharwad. He clarified that the process does not involve door-to-door visits; instead, Food Inspectors or Tahsildars will serve notices and verify whether individuals are genuinely paying taxes before reclassifying their cards.
There will be no penalty for income taxpayers or those with income above the limit. However, for government employees holding BPL cards, “officials will calculate the value of rations they received from the PDS since joining service at open market rates and then a penalty will be imposed for the total amount.”
In Dharwad, out of 3.84 lakh BPL cardholders, around 2,000 ineligible BPL cards in total have been reclassified to APL. Genuine BPL cardholders who have been reclassified are encouraged to visit the nearby office to resolve their concerns, said the official.
Shrishail Kankanwadi, Deputy Director of DFCS&CA in Bagalkot, explained that information regarding government servants with BPL cards is received from the e-governance system (NIC).
The government has linked Aadhaar, PAN, and ration card numbers, allowing it to identify those who file income tax. The Kutumba application will provide information about BPL cardholders whose annual income exceeds ₹1.25 lakh, by linking the income certificate to Aadhaar and ration cards, explained the official.
However, BPL cards were not reclassified for those possessing cars or properties, clarified Kankanwadi. In the last three months, 195 government employees’ BPL cards have been reclassified in Bagalkot, where there are 4.16 lakh BPL cardholders. Over 2,500 ineligible BPL cards have been reclassified in the district.
The Congress government has defended its decision to reclassify ineligible BPL (Below Poverty Line) cards as part of an administrative process, claiming that there are no ulterior motives behind the move. However, the opposition has been accusing the state of using the reclassification as a strategy to reduce the financial burden caused by the implementation of its guarantee schemes.
BPL cards are required to access benefits under the Gruha Lakshmi and Anna Bhagya Yojanas, which offer ₹2,000 and ₹170 for 5 kg of rice per month, respectively. Gruha Lakshmi has over 1.25 crore beneficiaries, while Anna Bhagya has more than 1.5 crore beneficiaries. The other three guarantee schemes do not require a BPL card for eligibility.
The Karnataka government is spending just over ₹28,600 crore for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme and ₹ 9,744 crore for the Anna Bhagya scheme.
BJP MLA K. Gopalaiah, who visited the homes of BPL cardholders whose cards had been reclassified, criticised the government’s actions. Speaking to South First, he said: “This is an arrogant move by the Congress government. It shows a clear anti-poor stance. The government is struggling to manage finances since implementing the guarantee schemes.”
He pointed out that by reclassifying BPL cards, the government is denying hundreds of thousands of people access to benefits.
Gopalaiah also noted that many affected families had been told their cards were reclassified due to paying income tax. However, he argued that these families remain poor and dependent on the BPL card for food and health benefits. “I will continue to fight against these actions,” he vowed.
In response, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar pointed to the parameters set by the central government for BPL families.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said: “Our government is acting based on these parameters. If eligible families have mistakenly had their BPL cards cancelled, new cards will be issued. We are reviewing the situation and will rectify any discrepancies.”
Shivakumar also addressed concerns about the lack of physical verification, acknowledging that no door-to-door checks had been conducted during the reclassification process.
“The Chief Minister has instructed the concerned minister. We are sending a list of cancelled BPL cards to each MLA, and they will assess the situation. The Guarantee Implementation Committee will be responsible for visiting homes and correcting any mistakes regarding BPL cards,” he assured.
In an attempt to alleviate people’s fear, minister KH Muniyappa told reporters: “If any eligible BPL cards have been reclassified during this process, a one-week window will be provided for re-registration to restore their BPL status.”
He also vouched to take responsibility for the BPL card row and assured that “none of the eligible BPL cards will be reclassified.”
(Edited by Neena)
