People can resume applying for new BPL cards from October: Karnataka minister K.H. Muniyappa
Manipal: Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs K.H. Muniyappa said that the ongoing revision of Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards in Karnataka will conclude by this month’s end, and people can resume applying for new BPL cards from October.
“If anybody’s card was erroneously changed from BPL to APL during the revision, they can apply for a BPL card through the tahsildar,” The Hindu quoted him as saying.
Speaking to reporters after reviewing the progress of the Food and Civil Supplies Department for Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Manipal on Friday, Muniyappa explained that once ineligible BPL cardholders are moved to the Above Poverty Line (APL) category, a window will be opened for new applicants.
He said those who had been waiting for nearly two years to apply for BPL cards but could not do so because the window was closed (as too many BPL cards were reported in Karnataka) will finally get the opportunity once the revision process ends.
The minister further urged ineligible cardholders to voluntarily surrender their BPL cards and obtain APL cards, ensuring genuine beneficiaries can avail the scheme.
Muniyappa said that 7.70 lakh ration cards in the state were flagged as ineligible to hold BPL cards as per the Union government’s recent survey of rightful targeting of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Those cardholders will be shifted from the BPL to the APL category as per the direction of the Union government, added the report.
He attributed the unusually high number of BPL cards in Karnataka to successive governments issuing them without proper assessment. “States like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala do not have more than 50% BPL card holders as per an assessment. But this crossed 75% in Karnataka,” he said.
“Notwithstanding a developed state, Karnataka has 1.28 crore BPL and Antyodaya card holders. So the revision of the authenticity of BPL cards was needed,” the minister added.
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Hyderabad–B’luru, Chennai-B’luru among seven high-speed rail corridors announced in budget
New Delhi: India will expand its high-speed rail network with seven new corridors as part of efforts to promote faster and environmentally sustainable passenger transport, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced while presenting the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament on Sunday.
Outlining the government’s infrastructure plans, Sitharaman said the proposed high-speed rail corridors are aimed at improving connectivity between major economic and cultural centres, while also helping reduce the carbon footprint of long-distance travel.
“The government proposes to develop environmentally sustainable passenger transport systems through seven high-speed rail corridors,” the finance minister said in her Budget speech.
According to the announcement, the identified routes include Mumbai–Pune, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi, Varanasi–Siliguri, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Chennai and Chennai–Bengaluru. These corridors are expected to link key metropolitan cities with fast-growing urban and industrial hubs.
