Karnataka government to reissue wrongly cancelled BPL cards: DK Shivakumar

The assurance follows controversy over reports that over 22.6 lakh BPL cardholders were deemed ineligible, prompting criticism from the opposition BJP.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday assured families living Below the Poverty Line that the government will reissue BPL cards to eligible households if their cards were mistakenly cancelled, PTI reported.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

The assurance follows controversy over reports that over 22.6 lakh BPL cardholders were deemed ineligible, prompting criticism from the opposition BJP. The party accused the ruling Congress of mishandling the issue.

Addressing reporters, Shivakumar said the government’s actions adhered to parameters set by the Centre for BPL eligibility. He added that any errors leading to the cancellation of cards for eligible families would be rectified.

"There have been discrepancies in some areas and we will address them. A review is underway to eliminate ineligible beneficiaries," Shivakumar said.

When questioned about the lack of physical verification before cancelling cards, he noted that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had issued instructions to the relevant minister.

Shivakumar said a list of cancelled cards would be sent to MLAs for verification.

The Deputy CM also announced that the Guarantee Implementation Committee would oversee home visits to resolve errors in the cancellation process.

CM directs officials not to cancel ration cards of poor families

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday instructed the Food Department officials not to cancel the ration cards of poor families.

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.

(With PTI inputs)