Advocate Purnima Sharma, Spokesperson, J&K BJP, today expressed serious concerns over recent statements made by NC government regarding the Below Poverty Line (BPL) beneficiaries in Jammu and Kashmir.
Adv. Purnima Sharma accompanied by Dr. Pardeep Mahotra, Media Incharge, J&K BJP and Neha Mahajan, General Secretary, BJP Mahila Morcha was addressing a Press Conference at party headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.
Rather than fulfilling its promises to benefit the needy people more, the NC is trying to hit the poor people under the garb of process to remove illegal beneficiaries. And now, the government readies a cover up by putting the process on a temporary hold.
She lamented that the actions of NC are giving an impression of a plan to hit more blows to the Jammu province, while making a reference to an old report, which discloses that Kashmir records nearly 2 Lakh more beneficiaries than the Jammu region. But the NC government is making an impression that Jammu has a higher number of BPL beneficiaries compared to the Kashmir province, she said and added that there are apprehensions that the elimination process will hit Jammu region more as goes by the standard record of the NC government.
Sharma pointed out that despite the central government's efforts to streamline the PDS by eliminating ineligible beneficiaries, many deserving individuals continue to be deprived of government benefits. She referred to reports indicating that over 1.27 lakh fake and duplicate ration cards were canceled in J&K since 2013, as part of a nationwide drive to enhance transparency and efficiency in the PDS. However, the senior BJP leader noted that these reforms have not translated into tangible benefits for all eligible BPL families.
She also criticized the National Conference (NC) for failing to fulfill poll promises made to the people, including enhancing the free rice allocation to 10 kg per person, reviewing the allocation of kerosene and sugar to match other states, strengthening the PDS, and ensuring the timely supply of food grains.
Purnima said the aforesaid commitments have proven to be hollow, leaving many deserving beneficiaries without adequate support. She stressed that those who needed support and are truly deserving and poor but left out of existing list must also be added.
In light of these issues, Purnima Sharma called on the Omar Abdullah-led government to take immediate action to identify and remove ineligible beneficiaries from the PDS without any bias. She emphasized the need for a thorough verification process to ensure that the benefits reach the truly deserving individuals. She also urged the government to expedite the completion of e-KYC for PDS beneficiaries to further streamline the distribution process.
The senior BJP leader stressed the importance of transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the implementation of PDS reforms to alleviate poverty and improve the living conditions of the marginalized sections of society. She reiterated the BJP's commitment to ensuring that government welfare programs effectively serve the intended beneficiaries.