The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Government to review BPL beneficiaries list

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Government to review BPL beneficiaries list

Special Correspondent

"Administration cannot afford to have a defective yardstick"

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi on Monday announced that the State Government would take a re-look at the list of beneficiaries who came under below the poverty line (BPL) category, the main yardstick for implementing many social welfare and development schemes.

Intervening in the general discussion on the revised budget for 2006-2007, he said the Government would review the entire BPL beneficiaries' list. The administration could not afford to have a defective yardstick. When social welfare and development schemes were implemented, the guidelines prescribed for selection of beneficiaries should be sincerely followed.

Referring to Congress Whip S. Peter Alphonse's charge that the list of beneficiaries under the Centrally-sponsored Indira Awaaz Yojana (IAY) meant for BPL groups was not properly prepared during the previous All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) rule, Mr. Karunanidhi said this was a startling revelation.

There could not be better evidence than this to show that crores of rupees earmarked for social welfare and development schemes were diverted to wrong end-users. "If the yardstick is not perfect, we have to do away with it and review the entire process [of selection of beneficiaries]."

"Grave injustice"

Mr. Alphonse said the Centre introduced the IAY for the Dalits and oppressed sections. The grave injustice - beneficiaries had been selected without adopting the prescribed norms and procedure -was brought to light during the recent review meetings conducted by Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin.

Citing examples, he said among the 166 BPL group beneficiaries at Seevanallur village in his constituency, only four were Dalits.

At Elathur village, out of 420 Dalits, only seven had been identified as beneficiaries.

AIADMK denial

Former Transport Minister R. Viswanathan (AIADMK) said the list of beneficiaries was not prepared by the Government but by the panchayat members. AIADMK Whip K.A. Sengottaiyan argued that the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government had prepared the list of people belonging to the BPL and sent it to the Centre.

Minister for Higher Education K. Ponmudi said the list was prepared during the AIADMK rule, when the Centre introduced the Antyodhaya Anna Yojana.

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