Thaindian News

Thiruvananthapuram, April 22 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Wednesday said the state will have a new below the poverty line (BPL) list.
Addressing reporters here after the weekly cabinet meeting, Achuthanandan said there were lots of complaints about the present list and a survey would be undertaken to prepare an error-free new list.

“We have decided to hold a survey to prepare the new list and it would be done by teachers,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy said there was a mismatch between the figures of the state and the central governments about the number of the BPL families in Kerala.

According to the state government’s estimates, there are 25 lakh families in the BPL category.

“But according to the list of the centre, it is 15 lakh and it’s based on this list that the centre allocates supplies to the state,” Chandy told IANS.

He, however, declined to comment on the government’s decision to prepare a new list, saying he would do so after getting details about the “real intention” of the government.

The state’s total population is 3.2 crore.

The critics of the existing BPL list say many poor families were excluded from the list.

In the recent state budget, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac had announced that the government would give rice for Rs.2 per kilogram to all BPL families.