Rawat seeks inclusion of forest dwellers in BPL list

Dehradun, June 12: Noting that forest dwellers in Uttarakhand were not getting benefits of Indira Avas Yojana, Congress MP from Haridwar and Union Minister Harish Rawat has demanded their inclusion in the BPL list to help them avail benefits of the housing scheme.

In a letter to Union minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh, whose copy was received here today, Rawat said, "I would like to point out that the socio economic condition of all forest dwellers including tribal families is almost the same and therefore all forest dwellers deserve to be included in the BPL list and made eligible for Indira Avas Yojana (IAY) and National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)."

In Uttarakhand, it has been observed that even families which figure in the BPL list are not being allowed to avail the IAY by forest officials, he said.

The Union minister of Water Resources urged Ramesh to take these facts into account and consider including all forest dwellers irrespective of their caste and creed into the BPL list and make them eligible for IAY and NSAP.

He also asked his ministerial colleague to give a suitable advice to state governments in this regard.

PTI