The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Directive on ration card puts officials, people in a spot

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 01, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Directive on ration card puts officials, people in a spot

Karnataka Bureau

Circular silent on what alternative document can be used in its place

FOR A CAUSE: Members of the Samajika Kriya Samiti, Samata Mahila Vedike and Federation of Women's Association protesting in support of their demands, including getting ration cards, in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Bangalore: The Government has issued circulars to all deputy commissioners stating that ration cards can no longer be used to identify Below Poverty Line (BPL) families as beneficiaries of various welfare schemes. The Hindu found that this has left officials in various departments in a piquant situation, since the circular is silent on what alternative document can be used in its place.

While some officials said that they would continue using BPL cards until an alternative is worked out, others expressed the fear it might bring to a grinding halt the process of identifying beneficiaries for schemes such as Bhagyalakshmi, Janani Suraksha Yojane and Ashraya.

Officials in Bidar district said that despite all its limitations, using BPL ration cards as valid documents was scientific. Without this, MPs and MLAs might use their discretion to select beneficiaries and there could be misuse, feared a senior officer.

About 1,500 people visit the district hospital in Bidar, where expensive medicines and procedures are free only for BPL families. Bidar District Health Officer Pandurang Pujari said, "Until now, we insisted on BPL cards. We also accepted letters from village accountants. If ration cards are withdrawn, we will insist on village accountants' letters," he said.

Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company has two schemes for supplying free and subsidised power to BPL families. "We have a waiting list of over 10,000 houses and farms in the district. Our plans will be delayed, if not cancelled, due to this step," said a senior officer.

Zilla panchayat Chief Executive Officer Jitendra Nayak said the panchayati raj institutions would use the list of BPL families prepared by the zilla panchayat two years ago.

"Until we receive fresh guidelines from the Government, we will continue extending the benefit on the basis of BPL cards," said Chitradurga District Health Officer S. Rangaswamy.

An official at the district hospital said that the hospital received 500 patients with BPL cards every day, who are entitled to free treatment. "If the Government does not state an alternative, they will all be forced to pay for treatment," he said.

An official at the Department of Women and Child Welfare said that as many as 632 applications had been received between April and May for the Bhagyalakshmi scheme. These would be on hold until new norms were formulated, he said.

The Government's notification diluting the BPL ration card would affect over 4.38 lakh beneficiaries in Mysore district. "We were facing problems despite possessing BPL cards. Who will save us in the changed circumstances? Explaining our economic condition to Revenue authorities is not an easy task. Only people who are well connected can get income certificates," said Shaheen Taj (40), a domestic help from Ghousia Nagar in Mysore.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare R. Ashok told The Hindu that income certificates issued by the tahsildar would be considered for availing the new health scheme `Madilu.'

The income certificate issued by the tahsildar would be valid from one to five years. A decision to this effect would be taken after consultation with the department officials at a meeting on June 2, he said. The `Madilu' scheme was scheduled to commence from June 1.

Secretary, Women and Child Welfare, Shalini Rajneesh, said the department as yet had no alternative criteria to identify beneficiaries for the Bhagyalakshmi and other schemes.

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