Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Oct 20: The BPL cards are not available for eligible beneficiaries in Karnataka. No ration is available in ration shops for APL card holders. Many months have passed from the time rice is distributed to APL card holders in the state.

There are 1.51 crore BPL card holders in the state. APL card holders are more than 24 lac. Though the food and civil supplies officials have sent repeated appeals to the government, rice is not supplied properly.

In the district of Dakshina Kannada there are 173751 APL card holders. However, rice is distributed only to 6459 card holders. For APL card holder five kg rice is given for one person and maximum 10 kg for two or more people in a family at a price of Rs 15. But now the APL rice is not available.

After the online portal system was introduced in Karnataka. Anyone can buy ration in any other district. Hence, people who are residents of a particular district do not get ration.

In Dakshina Kannada, 12048 migrant workers have got 2242 quintal of rice through portal in the month of September. Though this rice is distributed after 25th of every month, those who are residents of the district are not getting the same.

Officials say that five kg rice is already distributed to the BPL card holders in the state. Cash for the rest five kg will be deposited to the bank accounts within a week. Rs 17, 30, 20,030 crore is sanctioned for 278732 card holders in Dakshina Kannada district. In the BPL card, there are 6158 Anthyodaya card holders. As many as 6258 people have not got ration from three months. A total of 18023 people have not linked their ration cards to bank account. Hence, money will be deposited to the accounts of 248293 people.

Sarojini Mannagudda, APL card holder says, “Many rich people have illegally got BPL cards in our state. Though we are eligible for BPL card, we have not got the same. We want to buy rice meant for APL, but the same is not available in the shop. The government is neglecting poor people like us.”

Hemalatha, deputy director of food and civil supplies department, says, “Rice for APL cards is distributed in Dakshina Kannada district. As the ration for this month gets over on Saturdays, it is difficult that all BPL card holders will get rice. Recommendation is done to the government to provide rice for APL.”