CM Siddaramaiah directs officials not to cancel ration cards of poor families
Bengaluru (PTI): Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday instructed the Food Department officials not to cancel the ration cards of poor families.
The order follows controversy over reports that over 22.6 lakh Below the Poverty Line (BPL) cardholders were deemed ineligible.
The chief minister ordered that if the ration cards of any family other than government employees and income tax payers are cancelled, they should be returned immediately, the Chief Minister's Office said in a statement.
"The chief minister has warned that action will be taken against the Food Department officials if the ration cards of poor families are cancelled without any reason," it added.
Official sources said the Karnataka government has identified 22.63 lakh ineligible BPL card holders in the state as it decided to revise the list.
They said the state did a survey of BPL cardholders in August this year, which revealed that there are 22,62,482 ineligible BPL cardholders. Now the government is contemplating cancelling them.
Fear loomed large over withdrawal of many benefits given to lakhs of families including 10 kg food grains to each member of the family every month under the Anna Bhagya scheme.
There were apprehensions that the women head of the BPL families availing Rs 2,000 a month under the Congress guarantee Gruha Lakshmi scheme may be withdrawn.
Earlier in the day, Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister K H Muniyappa told reporters in Kolar that all the southern states do not have BPL cardholders more than 50 per cent.
"In Karnataka, which is second most tax revenue generating state after Maharashtra, there cannot be 75 to 80 per cent BPL card holders. So we have to cancel them," Muniyappa said.
He, however, clarified that the government was not cancelling the cards but only converting them from BPL to Above Poverty Line (APL) cards.
According to the minister, those in government jobs, paying income taxes or those whose annual income is above Rs 1.2 lakh are ineligible for BPL cards.
This move gave the opposition BJP a new weapon to target the ruling Congress in the state.
The party led by the Opposition leader in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka, former Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan and K Gopalaiah, took out a march in the city visiting houses of the BPL families. Later, they staged a demonstration against the government move.
A BPL card holder told reporters in Bengaluru that she got to know that her ration card has been cancelled after she went to a government run ration shop.
She was worried that her newborn daughter would not get the Karnataka government's welfare programme for girl child and get her educated.
Reports poured in from various parts of the state where people from the economically weaker section expressed their shock and dismay over the government's move.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rahul Gandhi demands Adani's immediate arrest, probe against Sebi chief
New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday demanded immediate arrest of industrialist Gautam Adani after the billionaire industrialist was charges in the US for alleged bribery and fraud.
Addressing a press conference here hours after the US prosecutors charged Adani and associates for allegedly paying USD 250 million bribe to Indian officials, the Congress leader said it is now pretty clear and established in the US that the businessman has broken Indian as well as American laws.
The Adani group has not yet reacted to the charges.
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek hain to safe hain' slogan, Gandhi said that as long as the prime minister and Adani are together, they are safe in India.
He said Adani should be arrested immediately and interrogated, and his "protector" and Sebi chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch should be removed from her post probed.
Gandhi further said he will raise the issue during the Winter session of Parliament beginning Monday.
He also said the demand of the opposition for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe stands.
"I can guarantee that Adani won't be arrested or investigated in India because the Modi government was protecting him," Gandhi alleged.
He said investigations should cover all states, irrespective of which party was in power.
