Rs 2,000 dole: Corpn manages to find only 2.6L BPL families

According to the survey conducted in 2004 pertaining to the BPL families, there were around 5.19 lakh BPL families in Chennai. “However, we have managed to find only around 2.60 lakh BPL families till now,” said a Chennai Corporation official.

When asked for the reason of being unable to find more than half of the BPL families, the officials noted that the survey was conducted 15 years ago. Many of these families could have either vacated their houses or moved out of the city to new addresses, they said.

“Even though finding all the BPL families after 15 years is a massive task, we will continue our enumeration drive and try to find all the families before the benefit scheme period ends,” the official added.

In an announcement made in the State assembly earlier this month, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had said that the government would provide Rs 2,000 each to the 60 lakh families, who are below the poverty line. The government has also made an allocation of Rs 1,200 crores for the 2018-2019 financial year. There were 35 lakh BPL families in rural areas and 25 lakh BPL families in urban areas.

The government said that the monetary benefit was given as assistance to the poor families in the districts that have been affected by Cyclone Gaja, and also hit by the drought-like situation following the failure of monsoon.

Sources said that the government has planned to deposit the money to the beneficiaries’ bank account from February 28.

“We are unable to infer how the government could distribute benefits since someone who was below poverty line 15 years ago had probably come out of the slab and may earn more. On other the hand, some people might fall into poverty. There is no clarity in the issue,” a Chennai Corporation source said.

Meanwhile, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has filed a case against Chennai Corporation officials attached to Teynampet zone on charges of collecting Rs 100 from BPL families to include their name in the beneficiaries’ list.

The first information report of DVAC has named conservancy inspector R Ramya (39), S Revathy (32), conservancy staff D Kalpana (50), road worker P Guru (35) and three other persons. The DVAC sleuths had reportedly seized Rs 10,100 from the accused persons.

The Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled & Caregivers (TARATDAC) have planned a State-wide protest alleging government apathy towards the population while disbursing funds under the special scheme of Rs 2,000 for BPL families. S Namburajan, State general secretary, TARATDAC, said that the government has overlooked the Rights of People with Disabilities Act, 2016, that mandates 25 per cent more for the community in any schemes being offered by the government. As per the provision, the current scheme should be Rs 2,500 for those with disabilities. “While enumerating BPL families, they should undertake the same exercise for the disabled population. They are being ignored largely by the Disability Welfare Department,” he alleged.