Mangaluru: MLA U T Khader has criticised Food and Civil Supplies Minister Umesh Katti’s statement on scrapping BPL cards of those owning a TV, refrigerator, and two-wheelers, and observed that government should increase benefits under the public distribution system (PDS).
“If the government continues with its anti-people policies, then this government will not last long,” he told media persons here, on Monday.
Khader, who had also served as Food and Civil Supplies Minister, said the government should withdraw its decision. “TV and refrigerator are essential commodities. How many houses do not own two-wheeler these days?” he asked.
Luckily, the government has not declared that those owning a mobile phone will be excluded from the BPL list, he ridiculed.
Khader said that there was no concept of APL and BPL. The same system has been renamed as priority households and non-priority households. The PDS system was introduced with the slogan ‘Garibi Hatao’ (eradicate poverty). But BJP has changed it to ‘Garibonko Hatao’, he said and added that the BJP-led governments in the state and Centre are conspiring to phase out the PDS.
On one hand, the government had reduced the quantity of rice distributed through ration shops to five kgs from seven kgs per person per month, on the other hand, it is planning to give ragi or jowar along with the rice. The government is planning to give three kgs of jowar or ragi along with two-kg-rice to each beneficiary. The combination of jowar and rice will be distributed in 15 districts of North Karnataka while the combination of ragi and rice will be distributed in the remaining districts in South Karnataka, the MLA said.
“Do people in the coastal belt consume ragi? Instead of ragi, the government should procure boiled rice and distribute it through the PDS in coastal districts,” he added.
On the issue of Surathkal toll gate, he said that the MP and local MLA had failed miserably. The district administration also could not solve the row over city buses terminating its trip in front of the toll plaza at Talapady, thus forcing passengers to walk for 300 meters to reach Talapady main bus stand.