Making a hash of pubic distribution system ! 3 years to issue BPL card
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 14 2011:
With the process of issuing new cards and renewal of old cards taking almost three years, there have been instances when BPL cards were delivered after death of the beneficiaries and when the beneficiaries no longer belong to BPL category.
According to some staff of Imphal East district administration, the process of issuing new cards and renewal of old cards has not been completed till date even as the necessary data and the old cards were collected in 2008 .
Because of the lengthy and cumbersome process of verification, there were instances where BPL cards were delivered after the death of the beneficiaries in Heingang Assembly Constituency in Imphal East district.
This compelled the officials to omit the names of the deceased beneficiaries and rectify the BPL list.
During the three years which the officials consumed in verification of the BPL lists, many families made considerable improvements in their economic conditions and when the BPL cards were delivered, the families had already climbed above the BPL category.
As such, many families which no longer belong to BPL category have been holding BPL cards by virtue of the recommendations made by their respective Gram Sabhas three years back.
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This inordinate delay in issuing and renewing BPL cards has been the prime factor for the failure of several welfare schemes taken up by the Government of India to reach their targeted sections of the population, says a report.
The process of verification for issuing new cards and renewing old cards cannot be completed till date for Imphal East district though the all the necessary date and BPL cards were collected three years back.
Meanwhile, the Government has initiated a new process to make all BPL card holders open accounts in their respective sub-post offices.
A letter sent by the Director, Postal Services Imphal to all sub-post offices in September directed that at least 60 BPL card holders should open accounts in their respective sub-post offices.
The same letter specified that at least 3000 BPL card holders should open accounts in post offices for Manipur Division.
It further directed that the process of opening accounts for 60 BPL card holders should be completed within 100 days from the date of receiving the same letter.
Despite all these instructions, it would not be feasible to open accounts for the BPL card holders and newly enlisted families as their cards have not been renewed or issued anew because of the lethargic and lengthy verification process.