Despite SC order, 34 lepers not included in BPL list

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, July 1

As many as 34 leprosy patients, living in Indra Chakravarti Gram on the outskirt of Karnal, are waiting for their names to be included in the below poverty line (BPL) list. They allege that though they had filed the requisite forms around five months ago, their names have not been included in the BPL list. Moreover, no survey has been conducted in this regard so far, leading to resentment among them.

Davinder Sachdeva, a social worker who works for the uplift of leprosy patients, says that their names have not been included in the BPL list despite the directions of the Supreme Court. The apex court had in September 2018 ordered the Central and state governments to provide to leprosy patients reservation under the disability quota and BPL cards.

He says that the Director, Food and Civil Supplies, had directed the local Additional Deputy Commissioner office to include these patients in the BPL list last year, but still no action had been initiated.

Yadgiri, a patient and president of the Leprosy Victims Association, says, “With the help of some locals, we filled BPL forms, but nobody has come for a survey in our colony so far. We request the authorities concerned to include our names in the BPL list so that we can get subsidised ration”.

Dheeraj Kumar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Karnal, says that they have been provided with a list of BPL beneficiaries for verification of their eligibility, according to the 15-point criteria. “The Karnal Municipal Corporation cannot include any person in the BPL list or verify the particulars of any person whose name has not been provided to us,” he adds.