MP mulls 'I'm poor' tag to keep rich off BPL cards

Bhopal, Dec 7: In a bid to discourage affluent families from availing the benefits of below poverty line (BPL) cards, the Madhya Pradesh government is planning on writing 'I am poor' on the walls of houses of the card holders.

An official of the food and civil supplies department on Monday, Dec 7 said, "The department, in case it gets too many complaints of the well-off getting themselves included in the BPL list, would launch a door-to-door drive and write 'I am poor' on the walls of the houses of the BPL card holders. This is a last resort to force the non-deserving people to surrender their cards."

Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Paras Jain who informed that the government received many complaints on this undesirable trend, said, "We will write the details of the BPL card holders in front of their houses as a last resort. This would embarrass the non-deserving people who would then surrender their cards."

When asked if the poor would be humiliated with such a step, the Minister wondered "Why would the poor mind it?"

However, the Congress has objected to the move citing that it would insult the poor.

OneIndia News