Bengaluru: Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa on Saturday said the state government has initiated steps to raise the annual income limit for obtaining a Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration card from ₹1.20 lakh to ₹3 lakh, while assuring that no existing BPL card will be cancelled.
Speaking to reporters after a review meeting on the implementation of the state’s guarantee schemes, Muniyappa said the ongoing verification of ration cards was being carried out in accordance with Central government guidelines. He clarified that only ineligible beneficiaries would be shifted to the Above Poverty Line (APL) category.
The minister said the Annabhagya scheme currently provides 10 kg of food grains to around 4.42 crore beneficiaries across the state.
To curb diversion and black-marketing of food grains, the government has installed CCTV cameras in food grain warehouses and GPS tracking systems in ration transport vehicles. Muniyappa said 1,497 FIRs had been registered against offenders and ration worth nearly ₹50 crore had been seized.
He added that the government was procuring 5.60 lakh metric tonnes of millets under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme for distribution and that the tender process for the proposed Indira Kit programme was underway. The scheme, with an estimated outlay of ₹6,000 crore, is expected to be rolled out within the next two months.
Muniyappa also said the government had discussed installing information boards on guarantee schemes at all 20,259 fair price shops in the state. A proposal has also been made to keep fair price shops open from 6 am to 10 pm to improve public access.
He urged beneficiaries facing issues related to ration distribution or public distribution services to lodge complaints through the state’s 1967 helpline.