Mayawati now targets below-poverty-line list

By IANS

Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, after taking action against erring officials in a large-scale police recruitment scam, Sunday launched her next campaign: revising the “inaccurate” list of people below the poverty line (BPL).


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“I have reason to believe that the BPL population charted out by the previous government was full of inaccuracies. I understand that the list contains names of a lot of people who are not below the poverty line, and even well-off persons belonging to a particular caste have been included on the list,” she told a press conference here.

“It would, therefore, be pertinent to identify the ineligible ones and score them off the list while bringing in those eligible ones who have been mischievously ignored.”

Stressing the need for a fresh survey and preparation of a revised list, the chief minister announced the setting up of local level committees headed by the district magistrates, which would submit their reports within three months.

Mayawati also announced the launch of an ambitious Rs.150 billion urban development scheme named after late Kanshi Ram, founder of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and her political mentor.

“We would be launching the Kanshi Ram Shahari Vikas Yojana and an allocation of Rs.2500 crore (Rs.25 billion) has already been made for the current financial year,” she said.

Aimed at ensuring integrated development of the state’s major cities and towns, the scheme envisages augmenting various civic amenities, especially drinking water, sanitation and housing for the homeless poor, improvement of slums and special provision for schools.

She did not indicate how much of the funding was being borne by the central government, from which she had earlier demanded a special grant of Rs.800 billion. The prime minister was yet to respond to her demand.

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