Himachal Pradesh Government Introduces New Criteria for BPL Families: Here's What the Updated Conditions Are

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Himachal Pradesh government has set new criteria for the selection of BPL (below poverty line) families. Videography of the entire proceedings of the Gram Sabha by the Panchayat Secretary will be mandatory, the record of which will be kept safe in the Panchayat Samiti. This process will be ensured within the available funds of the concerned Panchayat. Secretary, Rural Development Department, Rajesh Sharma has issued orders in this regard.

Under the new criteria, families which have orphan children below the age of 18, elderly members above 59 years of age and no adult member in the age group of 18 to 59 will be included in the BPL list. If the head of a family is a woman and there is no adult member in the age group of 18 to 59 years, then it will be eligible for the BPL list. If the head of the family suffers from 50% or more disability, then he can come in the BPL list. Families whose earning members have become permanently disabled due to cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, thalassemia or any other serious disease will also be included in this list.

Families wishing to be included in the BPL list will have to submit a written application to the Gram Panchayat by 31 January every year. A proposal will be placed in the Gram Sabha to remove a family from the BPL list. This entire process will be completed by 15 May every year.

Now families with permanent houses will not be included in the BPL list. Families whose annual income is more than Rs 50,000 will be out of this list. Families having more than one hectare of land will be ineligible. If any member of the family is employed in a government, semi-government or private job, he will be removed from the BPL list.

An affidavit will be taken from the head of each family, declaring that they do not have a concrete house. Their annual income is not more than Rs 50,000. They do not have more than one hectare of land. No member of the family is in government, semi-government or private job. Also, if a member of a BPL family tries to register as a separate family, he or she will not be included in the BPL list for the next three years.