BPL Cards: BJP spreading false propaganda, says Ivan D’Souza

Mangaluru: MLC Ivan D’Souza accused BJP leaders of spreading politically motivated misinformation regarding the cancellation of Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration cards. He clarified that the state government has not revoked the cards of any eligible beneficiaries.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Congress Bhavan on Saturday, D’Souza stated that Dakshina Kannada district has 4.59 lakh ration cardholders, of which 2.77 lakh are BPL cards. Among these, 5,456 were flagged as suspicious, but after scrutiny, 5,116 were retained as BPL cards. Only 340 cards were canceled, and that too for failing to meet eligibility criteria, such as belonging to government employees or income tax payers.

He assured that no injustice had been done to the poor and accused BJP leaders of misleading the public with baseless claims. “The Congress government is committed to ensuring that all rightful beneficiaries retain their BPL status,” he stated.