By IANS,
Bhubaneswar: The Orissa government Friday announced that a new list of people below poverty line (BPL) will be prepared by January 2010 and will include HIV and AIDS patients, physically handicapped people and backward tribes.
“We have asked all district collectors to see that the deserving people don’t get omitted from the new list. We have asked them to ensure that the poor, especially tribals, physically handicapped and HIV patients get the new ration cards,” Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik said.
“It should be our endeavour to prepare the list for distribution of ration card so that maximum people get the benefit of it,” the chief minister said.
The state government had earlier in 2002 prepared a list of 42 lakh BPL people but the central government disputed that figure.
Panchayati Raj Minister Prafulla Samal said: “The list would be prepared according to the 13-point indicators after thorough checking and counter-checking. The district collectors have been entrusted the