Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Mad rush: BPL families scamper to apply for ₹2k dole

Devanathan.Veerappan@timesgroup.com

Madurai:26.02.2019

A mad rush has begun to get applications for the special financial assistance of ₹2,000 to be disbursed by the state for families living below poverty line (BPL).

The Madurai Corporation is consolidating the list of families eligible to receive the assistance in its corporation limits. The last time when the corporation conducted such enumeration for BPL families was in 2004. At that time, there were1.19 lakh BPL families in all the four zones. When the corporation officials went to check the present status of the families, they could manage to trace just 30% of them.

For instance, there were around 25,000 BPL families in zone two of Madurai Corporation, but the officials managed to trace only 7,000 families. They are now conducting a door-to-door search for the eligible families. Meanwhile, residents have started running from pillar to post seeking applications due to lack of communication from the corporation on how the eligible families are to be shortlisted.

Syed Ahamed Basha from Yagappa Nagar said, “We do not know how the eligible families are going to be chosen. In our area, a former ruling party councillor is issuing applications. We are confused as to whom we should approach and submit the application.”

Residents said the 2004 enumeration itself was flawed as it was not done professionally. K Thilagar, a former councillor, said the government should have given adequate time to conduct fresh enumeration to find out the real beneficiaries. “In some areas, the ruling partymen have already started influencing the process,” he claimed. An official from the corporation clarified that the BPL families’ present status is being reviewed. He clarified that people can submit applications in ward offices.

PIL seeks to stop scheme before polls

Madurai:

The Madurai bench of the Madras high court has adjourned a case which sought to stop the distribution of ₹2,000 to BPL families in the state till completion of Lok Sabha elections. A Dineshbabu, of Madurai, had filed the petition. The bench adjourned the case after seeking the order copy of a similar petition dismissed recently. TNN

No comments:

Post a Comment

NEWS TODAY 21.12.2024