The Hindu : New Delhi News : BPL card holders fear festive season may delay renewal process

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 05, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

BPL card holders fear festive season may delay renewal process

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The festive season has left the below-poverty-line (BPL) card holders in the Capital a worried lot even as the process of renewal of their cards is on. They apprehend that by the time they manage to obtain the mandatory “income certificates” from the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) to get their BPL cards renewed, it would be well past the last date of December 7.

According to K. V. Krishnan of Delhi Shramik Sangathan, the BPL cards were officially being renewed by the Food and Civil Supplies of the Delhi Government from October 8 to December 7. But he pointed out that the process actually began on October 15 as the circle offices got their act together only after a week of the official information published in newspapers.

Another worry with the BPL card holders is that many offices would remain closed during this period on account of one festival or the other, thereby leading to delay in issuance of their “income certificates”. The BPL card holders living in the slums of West Delhi, South-West Delhi, North-West Delhi and East Delhi now apprehend that such a situation would bring the touts into the picture who would make money taking advantage of their plight.

However, an official of the Food and Civil Supplies Department said if the BPL card holders attached their previous “income certificates” in their applications to the SDM, it would be easier for them to get new certificates without much delay. The official added that “income certificates” were necessary and its requirement could not be waived off.

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