Udupi: Speed Up Identification of Ineligible BPL Cards, Directs Minister K.H. Muniyappa
Udupi: Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology Minister K.H. Muniyappa has instructed officials to expedite the process of identifying ineligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) cardholders in Udupi district, while ensuring that genuine beneficiaries are not inconvenienced.
He was addressing a departmental review meeting at the Rajathadri District Office Hall, Manipal, on Friday.
Highlighting the issue, the Minister said Karnataka ranks second in the country in terms of economic status. According to a Central Government survey, over 7 lakh ineligible BPL cards exist in the state. To rectify this, the State Government has initiated a revision exercise, converting suspicious cards into Above Poverty Line (APL) cards. He assured that genuine cardholders wrongly categorized under APL could submit documents to the tahsildar, after which their BPL status would be restored.
Muniyappa directed officials to act strictly against ineligible cardholders and to initiate legal action against those diverting or illegally selling ration rice.
In the Udupi district, 295 fair price shops cater to 1,95,058 Antyodaya and Priority ration card holders, covering 8,31,846 beneficiaries. The district ranks third in the state for ration distribution performance, having distributed 40,375.45 quintals of rice in September, achieving 78.42% progress.
The district has also completed 99.30% e-KYC verification through door-to-door surveys. In September, 2,950 ineligible ration cards were identified — 2,739 converted to non-priority cards, while 211 remain pending.
Of 13,947 applications for priority ration cards, 13,412 have been approved, while 535 are pending. For non-priority ration cards, out of 12,332 applications, 10,294 have been cleared, leaving 2,038 pending. The Minister urged the speedy disposal of pending applications.
Under the Essential Commodities Act, the district has registered 9 cases, seizing 200.95 quintals of rice and 3 vehicles, and collected Rs 2 lakh in fines.
The Minister also instructed the Legal Metrology Department to conduct regular inspections of shops, malls, and petrol bunks to ensure accuracy in weights and measures, and to act firmly against malpractices.
“Protecting consumer rights is the foremost duty of every official. Officers must discharge their responsibilities diligently and ensure citizens are not cheated in daily transactions,” Muniyappa emphasized.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Swaroopa T.K., Additional DC Abid Gadyal, Food & Civil Supplies Deputy Director Rashmi, DK Deputy Director Anita Madlur, officials from the Legal Metrology Department, food inspectors, and other staff.
