Rich eating up poor’s atta-dal, says survey

Bathinda : Affluent people are getting subsidised atta-dal meant for below poverty line (BPL) families. This has come out in a survey ordered by the state government to weed out undeserving beneficiaries. The survey will be completed by August 31. This is not the first instance that this scheme has been dogged by controversies of abuse by influential people. As per preliminary reports, officials have identified 14,187 fake claimants who were issued blue cards under the scheme during the SAD-BJP rule. There are 2.86 lakh beneficiaries in Bathinda district. In Rampura Phul, there are 339 and 189 such persons who own landed property or had high financial resources, respectively, but were regularly getting subsidised atta-dal. Similar is the case of some retired employees of the Lehra Mohabbat Thermal Plant. In Maur, 1,068 families did not present their claims before the inspecting team. The scene is no different in Jethuke, Kot Shamir, Ballianwali, Pacca Kalan, Behman Deewana villages where even families having palatial houses and luxurious cars have BPL cards, the officials found.