Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 4: Opposition National Conference and Congress legislators today staged a walk out in the Legislative Assembly over alleged discrepancies in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) list.
In a written reply to a question of MLA Kamal Verma in the Lower House, Minister Incharge Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department Zulfkar said the State has implemented the NFSA wherein PHH, NPHH and exclusion are the only three categories which have been identified.
“Under PHH category, consumers are being provided food grains at highly subsidized rated of Rs. 3 and Rs. 2 for rice and wheat respectively,” he said.
In his supplementary, Verma alleged that there have been discrepancies in BPL list and BPL ration cards get into the pockets of rich people rather than deserved deprived section of society. In his reply, the Minister admitted that there have been discrepancies.
“There have been some discrepancies and these issues neither evolved overnight nor will be sorted overnight. New steps which include directing District and Tehsil level officers to check if there are any misappropriations action will be taken accordingly,” he said.
In his supplementary, BJP MLA R S Pathania asked Government that whether the exclusion list is on paper or Government is seriously doing anything about it and urged Government that a tentative list should be prepared
In reply, the Minister said that lists should be displayed at all public distribution stores. “From this House, I direct CAPD workers that lists should be pasted on the walls of every Panchayat Centre and PDCs,” he said.
The Minister further said the criteria for the inclusion of households under PHH category which include present AAY and BPL list is households having meagre monthly income( certified from competent authority), houseless and landless, widows, orphans, destitute, militancy and violence affected families in low income group, leprosy patients and domestic house maids, weaker sections and nomadic families, old age pension holders, especially physically handicapped, inhabitants having Kucha house, displaced families (Natural Calamity), labourers and workers, slum dwellers and any other deserving families identified by competent authority not included.
After heated verbal exchanges, both opposition NC and Congress leaders staged a walkout from the House.
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