Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah orders cancellation of ineligible BPL cards due to financial difficulties

Bangalore:Amid growing financial pressure due to the state’s five guarantee schemes, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday asked officials to cancel all ineligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards.

In a meeting with deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of districts, Siddaramaiah pointed out that 80 per cent of the state’s population held BPL cards, in stark contrast to Tamil Nadu’s 40 per cent. He urged officials to align the number of BPL cards with the recommendations of NITI Aayog, suggesting a lower percentage of BPL families in Karnataka.

The importance of BPL cards is underscored by their role in accessing benefits of the government’s five guarantee schemes. A June 2023 note from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies highlighted the widespread problem of ineligible persons holding BPL cards. According to the Ministry of Finance, Karnataka had 1.13 crore BPL cards, covering 85.23% of households. In comparison, BPL cardholders constituted 62.11% in Gujarat, 64.36% in Maharashtra and 65.59% in Telangana.

Siddaramaiah also took stock of the progress made by Indira Canteens, the state-subsidised restaurants. The government has sanctioned construction of 70 new Indira Canteens in Bengaluru, and similar projects are expected to be launched in other parts of the state soon.

In addition, the meeting discussed the delay in collection of property tax. Last year, Rs 224 crore of property tax was due. By June this year, the government had collected Rs 806 crore, and Rs 1,053 crore is still outstanding. The Chief Minister’s Office has asked all deputy commissioners to intensify their efforts to collect these amounts through a targeted campaign.