Karnataka Finds 1.5 Million Families Don’t Qualify for Poor People Cards, Will Check Records
BENGALURU, Karnataka, India – August 18, 2025:After the monsoon session, Karnataka will start a big check to kick out people who shouldn’t have Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards. K.H. Muniyappa, the state’s Food and Civil Supplies Minister, said they think about 1.5 million families aren’t poor enough to have these cards, based on an old survey. This is to make sure only those who really need the help get it and to spend the state’s money better.
How Big Is It?
Muniyappa said that compared to other states around, Karnataka has way too many BPL cardholders. States like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala have less than 50% of their people with these cards, but in Karnataka, it’s over 75%. The state has easier rules to get a card than the national rules.
The minister said an early check found 1.5 million families didn’t need the cards. They tried to take them away before, but it didn’t work because of computer problems, politics, and people getting confused.
Who Doesn’t Qualify?
The rules are clear: If someone in the family works for the government, pays income tax, or the family makes over ₹1.2 lakh a year, they can’t have a BPL card. Also, if they own a car or a good house with a lot of rooms, they don’t qualify.
The minister said many people who shouldn’t have the cards are government workers and taxpayers who found ways to get them. This is costing the state a lot of money.
The Plan to Clean Up
After the government meets, they’ll start checking and removing people from the BPL list. They won’t just cancel the cards. They’ll move those who don’t qualify to the Above Poverty Line (APL) category.
This is to avoid problems they had last time. The minister said no one who really needs a BPL card will be hurt by this. He also asked those who don’t qualify to change their cards to APL cards themselves and help the government.
Money and How It Affects People
Taking 1.5 million families off the BPL list should save the state a lot of money. The minister told the government they could use the savings for new projects and other important services. Right now, the state’s Public Distribution System (PDS) is struggling because there are too many BPL cardholders.
Also, some people who don’t need it are getting help from programs like the Anna Bhagya scheme. This takes away from those who really need the help.
Need Politicians to Agree
The last time the government tried to fix the BPL card system, the other parties complained. This made them stop the project for a while. The minister is asking all parties to work together to make sure this time it works and is fair.
He said they aren’t trying to target any group, just to make sure everyone gets a fair share. The government also plans to put up a website where people can apply for BPL cards in 24 hours. This is to make the system easier to see what’s going on.
History of the Problem
Karnataka has had problems with people having BPL cards who don’t qualify for a while. The state’s easy rules have made the number of BPL cards go up over the years. Governments have talked about it but usually don’t do anything because they don’t want to make people angry.
The current government wants to fix the issue now, saying they need to be careful with money and keep the PDS honest. Experts and people who study this stuff are happy, saying it’s time for a better system that helps the right people.
