Efforts to retain families earning up to Rs 2.5 lakh under BPL: Minister

Arasikere: The government would be urged to revise the existing income criteria for Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration cards and retain families with an annual income of up to ₹2.5 lakh under the BPL category, Excise Minister and Hassan district in-charge minister K.M. Shivalingegowda said on Friday.

Speaking after receiving a felicitation organised by the Government Fair Price Shop Owners’ Association at the Venkateshwara Kala Bhavan in Arasikere, Shivalingegowda said his position was that no poor family should be denied benefits because of changes in the income status of an individual family member.

He said the government had decided that if a person in a BPL card-holding family earned an income of ₹1.20 lakh, only that individual would be excluded from the BPL category, while eligible members of the family would continue to receive BPL benefits. “We have not taken away benefits meant for the poor. It is not appropriate to stop benefits to an entire family merely because one member is earning. We are therefore placing before the government the demand that family members should continue to remain under the BPL category as long as their annual income is up to ₹2.50 lakh. We will press for this,” he said. Shivalingegowda said welfare guarantee schemes introduced for the poor should be welcomed and people should not pay heed to Opposition allegations that such schemes were ruining the country.He said similar guarantee schemes were also being implemented in states ruled by Opposition parties. The government would ensure that eligible poor families were not unfairly deprived of ration and other welfare benefits, the minister said.

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