Govt employees with fake BPL cards in Udupi district’

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, April 13, 2016: The officials of the food and civil supplies department have identified 5,254 persons for falsely claiming that they belong to the BPL category and claiming the benefits extended to BPL families. This includes 36 government employees as well.  Incidents of government employees, including teachers and those working in court, possessing Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration cards have come to light in the district.

They said staff members of court and PU college lecturers in Kundapura and Karkala taluks and primary school teachers, bank employees, a staffer of ITDP and Indian Army are enjoying the benefits of BPL ration cards in the district, they added.

The officials said they have already suspended four ration cards and recovered the fine. Notices have been issued to the concerned authorities for the suspension of ration cards. Kundapura taluk has the highest number of fake card holders (1,935). In Udupi taluk, a total of 1,670 fake ration card holders have been identified. This number is 1,640 in Karkala taluk. As many as 134 people have surrendered BPL ration cards to the department, they added.

The officials have intensified the drive to weed out bogus ration cards in the district. Accordingly, they are keeping a tab on the electricity bill of the BPL card holders. Those who consume more than 150 units of electricity per month are being identified with the help of Mescom. A total of 2,703 BPL cardholders consuming more than 150 units of electricity have been identified so far and the department is planning to initiate action against them, they stated.

One of the surprising thing is that 518 BPL card holders in Kundapura taluk own cars. The officials have collected fine of Rs 54,523 from bogus card holders in Kundapura and Karkala taluk, they added.

Sources in the department said, "In Udupi taluk, none have paid the fine. Based on the available documents, we have identified them as government employees.

The ration cards of two employees working in judiciary department have been suspended and measures have been taken to collect fine from them. Notices have been issued to the remaining bogus ration card holders. Once, we get a reply from them, we will initiate measures against them." Such elements must be removed from service demands public and social activists.