Hubballi: BJP State President BY Vijayendra accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of pursuing a “dual objective” by canceling Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration cards in Karnataka. Speaking to reporters here, Vijayendra alleged that the Congress government aims to save funds for its welfare schemes while burdening the poor under the guise of reforms. “The government is pursuing dual objectives by canceling over 11.5 lakh BPL cards in one stroke. In the coming days, an additional 10 to 15 lakh cards may also be revoked. If 20 lakh cards are canceled within the next 15–20 days, the Chief Minister will save thousands of crores meant for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme and funds allocated for distributing 5 kg of rice to BPL cardholders,” he claimed. Vijayendra criticized officials for failing to adopt a scientific approach during the cancellation process. “Even street vendors possess PAN cards because transactions without them are impossible,” he said adding the state government is unjustly using PAN cards as a basis for these cancellations of BPL cards. “Under the National Food Security Act, the Central Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi provides 92.5% of the assistance, while the state government contributes only 7.5%. On what basis and criteria has the cancellation of BPL cards belonging to the poor been carried out?” Vijayendra questioned. “We have no objection to removing the names of income tax payers (from BPL card list), but decisions made arbitrarily by officials sitting in front of computers are unacceptable,” he warned. Vijayendra accused the Congress government of financial mismanagement. “The Chief Minister seems helpless, unable to mobilize funds for implementing guarantee schemes. His struggle to meet financial requirements exposes his inefficiency,” he said. He further alleged that the Congress government’s promises have failed to translate into action. “Congress made big promises during the election, but people are now spitting in disgust. Women are in tears asking for BPL cards. Development has come to a complete standstill under this government,” Vijayendra remarked. “Even Congress MLAs regret their election victories,” he added. “The Chief Minister claims in his speeches that NABARD funding has been reduced by 58 percent, but this is not specific to Karnataka—it applies to other states as well. The Reserve Bank operates based on its own criteria. Funds are allocated to NABARD after prioritizing key sectors. The Chief Minister is blaming the Centre as a way to cover up his own failures,” Vijayendra criticized.
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