BPL Card or Bhaiya! Public Looto Card

Sarkari filon mein gaon ka mausam gulabi hai; lekin Jumman ke ghar me aaj bhi tuti rakabi hai.

These lines from a Hindi Poem seem very true in rural India. In Government’s files all the development work is going very well and aam admi is getting all the facilities provided by Government officials. But this is not real picture of rural India. We conducted a voter awareness campaign in Sitapur, Bahraich, Lalitpur, Mirzapur and Ghazipur districts of Uttar Pradesh. During this project, we became familiar with problems of villagers.
As we experienced after 60 years of independence villagers have no other thing to think beyond Rashan, chini and mitti ka tel (public food grains, Sugar and Kerosene oil). In last assembly election in Uttar Pradesh public system was major issue in rural areas. In the view of villagers BPL card (Below Poverty Line Card) became Bhaiya! Public Looto Card (Bro! cheat the public card).
Mrs. Hafija, from Visheshwarganj block, Bahraich district, said, “In this village every family force to give 500 rupees for every BPL card”. Munna, belongs to same place said, “Member of Gram Sabha never give us BPL card even after taking bribe. Any how, if you able to get the card, still to get a Rashan is as hard as to crack a nut.” Angry with government system Munna said, “In this election this is major issue of this village, we will raise this issue in front of every candidate.”
Kashiram Yadav, belongs to Madnagra village, Ikauna block in same district, said, “This village have BPL cards very less in number. Some people got BPL card but they are not eligible. Some eligible villagers got card but getting goods is as tough as to catch the moon. We are poor and we force to buy food grains from black market.”
We found same situation in Kemichak village in Chitura block in same district. Budhna and Dhanraji from this village also agreed that in this election BPL card became major issue.
Manka from Patna village in Visheshwarganj block said, “Since 40 years, we are facing same problems, no one is helping us, not even our MLA. After winning election MLA never came in this village again and this is not first time that we are facing these situations since 40 years.”
This is real problem in villages of Uttar Pradesh and every one aware about this situation from top to bottom. This is why, Mayawati, current Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh, ordered to officials to revise BPL card list about one week ago.

What is BPL card scheme?

BPL card scheme is for people, who are living under below poverty line. Poverty line is defined by Government of India, “People, who are earning maximum Rs 24,800 per annum.” In this scheme BPL card holders can get food grains (wheat and rice), kerosene oil and sugar in lower rate (under subsidy).
BPL cards are given after a survey and this survey done by an open meeting in every Gram Panchayat, chaired by Pradhan (village president) and Gram Vikas Adhikari (village development officer) and all the Gram Panchayat Sadasaya (village ward members). After getting list of eligible people, this list has to send in Block. After merging lists of every Gram Panchayat, survey would be completed.

Procedure of distrubution-

State Government provides subsidize rashan to district administration and from district it has to send at block. This work is monitored by Uttar Pradesh Rajya Awashayak Vastu Nigam (UP State food and Essential Communities’ Corporation) and Food & Supply Department.
At block, distribution license is given to a business person and this license holder person has to provide rashan (food grains, kerosene and sugar) to village distributor (KOTEDAR). License of distribution to Kotedar is provided by SDM. And this license holder Kotedar has to distribute rashan in village per month. One Kotedar can get license for about 10 villages (depend on population).

Loop holes in BPL card scheme?
Problems for village distributor-
Distributor has to collect rashan from block store managed by block distributor. In block store wheat is available at Rs 459 per quintal and rice at Rs 609 per quintal and kerosene oil at Rs 10 per liter. But loop hole is village distributor has to bring rashan by own vehicle and there is no procedure of reimbursement of towing cost. And village distributor can get only commission on rashan; in case of wheat this commission is Rs 6.00 per quintal, in rice they can get Rs 6.00 per quintal and after distribution one Kilogram of sugar they can get Rs 0.60 and in case of kerosene, they can earn Rs 0.60 per liter.
Along this village distributor has to spend Rs 70 for license (in case of zero corruption). In block store, there is lot of chances of corruption like less amount of wheat in packet or rice.
One village distributor, working in Isanagar block in Lakhimpur district, said, “I have to give Rs 255 per drum of kerosene to block distributor as bribe and Rs 400 in case of wheat packet. And we are getting 35-40 kilogram of wheat and rice in 55 kilogram packet.”

Problems of BPL-

Under this scheme a BPL card holder can get 10 kg of wheat, 15 kg of rice, 3 liter of kerosene oil and 3 kg of sugar per month. Villagers told us Pradhan/Gram Sabha Member was charging 500 Rs as a bribe for providing them BPL card. Along this lot of poor never got this card but some people, who have big house and huge land, gets the card.
Village distributor is selling our rashan to business person. In case of any pressure from villagers and officials village distributor force to distribute rashan but often villagers did not get rashan.

Another schemes for BLPs ?
Antyoday scheme-
Villager, who don’t have Pakka Makan (brick house)/or who has no land/or who is not a professional worker like weaver, can get Antyoday card. This list is also developed by Pradhan (village president) and Gram Vikas Adhikari (village development officer) and all the Gram Panchayat Sadasaya (village ward members). In this scheme, loop holes much bigger. Village distributor has to buy wheat and rice from block store monitored by Uttar Pradesh Rajya Awashayak Vastu Nigam (UP State food and Essential Communities’ Corporation). The subsidized rate of wheat in block store is Rs 1.94 per Kilogram and rate of rice is Rs 2.94 per Kilogram. Village distributor can sell this wheat and rice to card holders at rate of Rs 2.00 and Rs 3.00 per Kilogram. It means village distributor can earn only Rs 0.6 after selling per Kg of food grains. Along this there is no procedure of reimbursement of towing chargers. And problem of packets, having lesser weight of food grains is big hurdle for giving regular service for village distributor.

These problems are showing that corruption is a big problem but we need to revise our system also. And we need to develop very efficient monitoring process.

Is this real growth!

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of India is going all time high. In stock market sensex is creating new history everyday. Foreign reserve of country is in ever-good condition. Indian companies are now following the real locus of globalization and started acquiring foreign companies. They are setting up their plant in other countries. This is really pink picture of the Indian economy and we all hope that this would be maintained forever.
But flip side of this healthy economic condition could confuse you. Where is the growth, which has always been claimed by prime minister and the finance minister? After 60 years of independence, 26% of population is still living below the poverty line. They don't have food, shelters and employment. Most of them are hardly getting food for themselves and their families even for one time. But our economists say that India is in better condition then ever.
Those who are saying that Indian economy is in better condition and everyone will get benefit from this growth but this growth is not translating on the life of starving people. There is an appalling condition in villages. Women are going several kilometers for a pot of clean water. Besides that availability of hospital, school is very rare. If a poor person or villagers is suffering from sever health problem then he does not get prompt medical assistance but when a rich person is suffering from a mild headache he can easily go to a specialist. Rich people drink mineral water; where as poor don't even have clear water to quench their thirst. Children of poor people don't have a school; where as wards of rich go to English medium school.
On 60th Independence Day the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced some relief measure for socially deprived person of the society. In his speech to nation the pm said that we introduced new pension scheme, insurance policy and for the welfare of society we strengthen our education system. This is a usual speech with bunch of lucrative promise. Every time we heard about that the government is trying to do something for poor. But at the last the result has gone in vain. Day by day the gulf between riches and poor is widening. The government must look at all these factors, which could make constructive and brighter future for deprived people. The government must have to do strictly implement such policies rather than more announcements.

• Praveen Kumar Shrivastava
  

Power of Indian Democracy

This is power of Indian Democracy or Indian Culture. Nobody knows but this story is telling truth about India’s most marginal community, women (especially from lower caste). This story is telling about lifetime struggle of a woman, but she never lost her hope and passion. She is struggling with her life for livelihood to clean cloth. But she never forgot to caste her vote in any type of election. She is thinking, one day a man will come in her village and will win votes and election. Then her life also would be changed. Her name is Manni Devi is living at Mirzapur District in a small hut with two kids.

Now, 55 years old, Manni Devi raised her children with the money from her husband’s daily wage at a nearby carpet factory. When her husband suffered a stroke that left half of his body paralyzed, Manni Devi took a Rs. 30,000 loan for medical treatment from a local landowner at 10% monthly interest. Despite the treatment, her husband soon passed away, leaving Manni Devi with two children, a large loan and no income. Ever since, she has been making fried snacks of rice and potato that she sells at the local market. Her income is 10 kg of food grains per month, which is the equivalent of approximately 500 rupees, insufficient to cover her monthly expenses and interest payments. Towards this end, she works at marriages and other social events in the village, for which she is compensated with cloth that she uses to sew clothes for herself and her children.
Additionally, she is able to rely on the government for some help. Because she belongs to a Scheduled Caste, her children receive Rs. 300 each year to help to cover the cost of attending school. The school also provides the children with uniforms. Manni herself is uneducated, but she knows that her vote is important and votes in every election. Manni admits that she doesn’t know what are the possible benefits from voting, but she knows that her vote “makes the government and the government is helping us to survive.” She dreams that “one day a good MLA will come to our village and erase our problems.”