Karnataka CM Siddharamaiah denies allegations that government is cancelling BPL cards of eligible beneficiaries

CM Siddharamaiah denies BPL card cancellation orders, aims to remove ineligible beneficiaries for deserving individuals to receive benefits.

CM Siddaramaiah on Sunday (November 17, 2024) denied allegations that the State Government had issued orders for cancellation of below poverty line (BPL) cards of eligible beneficiaries.

“We are taking steps to weed out ineligible persons from the pool of BPL card beneficiaries. This step will help the eligible beneficiaries get all the benefits. We have found that several government employees and tax payers have obtained BPL cards and have not returned them despite several appeals,” he told reporters in Bagalkot on Sunday (Nov. 17).

“The department of food is examining a proposal to urge all ineligible persons to return cards or to cancel them. But no final decision has been taken,” he added.

When asked him if the government had issued orders to cancel BPL cards, the CM said the question was wrong. “There is no proposal to cancel BPL cards. Who can cancel those cards. We are only taking steps to see that only eligible beneficiaries get the benefits. I want to clarify that while steps will be taken to cancel BPL cards of ineligible persons, the cards of eligible beneficiaries will stay. Our only concern is that the deserving should not be deprived of benefits and that government benefits should not be abused by the undeserving,” he noted.

Responding to Opposition leader R. Ashok’s claim that the BJP had been absolved from the allegations of 40% commission in government contracts, the CM said that the investigation was ordered based on a complaint by D. Kempanna, president of the State contractor’s association. The BJP has claimed that the Lokayukta has given a clean chit to the Basavaraj Bommai Government in the case.

“When an accused is released due to lack of evidence, it does not mean that the murder has not been committed. It may mean that the witnesses did not depose properly before the courts,” the CM said.

Mr. Siddharamaiah said he would he would stick to his allegation that the BJP had tried to buy 50 Congress MLAs by paying ₹50 crore each. “They tried to engineer such defections, but failed,” he said.