Clarifications from Office of Chief Minister - Gujarat about the NDTV news spreading lies about poverty guidelines of Gujarat: This is with regard to the news being run on NDTV India. It is being alleged that Govt. of Gujarat has issued new guidelines for recognising BPL families in the state, keeping Rs. 11 per person per day in the rural areas and Rs. 17 in the urban areas. This is untrue, misleading and selective quoting from a clarification issued to the field functionaries for issuing BPL ration-card. The genesis of this is a letter (enclosed herewith) sent by planning commission in 2004 to Govt. of Gujarat, clarifying that It has not revised the income criterias ( the same being telecast in the channel) which were decided in 2000-01. The GOG circular which is being cited in the news states that the BPL ration-card is to be issued to all who are: i) either figuring in the BPL list of rural development deptt with an score of less than 16, or ii) have income less than specified above. This circular was issued to field functionaries clarifying that they should not apply only income criteria (of planning commission) but also give BPL ration-card to those families which are in the BPL list of Rural Development Deptt. irrespective of their income. Planning Commission or GOI has never conveyed to us what criterians to follow for determining whom to issue BPL ration-card nor have they revised the income criteria inspite of repeated request. It is Govt. of Gujarat which has decided to give BPL ration-cards not only to the persons below the specified & unrevised income limit of planning commission (which would have benefitted only few families) but also to the families figuring in the Rural developement BPL list. The result of this is that Planning Commission recognises only 21 lakhs families as BPL (including Antyodaya Ann Yojana families) in the state and allocates ration for this number only whereas Govt. of Gujarat has identified 32 lakhs BPL + AAY families which are catered to by it . Actually, there are lakhs of families in Gujarat whose income is far above this limit (Rs. 11/17) but are having BPL ration-card as they figure in BPL list of GOI. It is unfortunate that a clarification is being touted as new guideline without reading the full circular and blown out of context. Those who want the original circular of Planning Commission of 2004 which has been used by NDTV for their convenience, kindly give me email ID. I shall forward Nivedita Agarwal Neet Sparrow Suresh Kumar S
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 14:23:06 +0000
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