Govt to slap criminal cases against bogus BPL card holders

The State government has decided to slap criminal cases against those who possess bogus Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration cards in the State, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters, he said opportunity will be given for voluntary disclosure of bogus cards. People will be given two to three months time to disclose if they possess bogus cards. No action will be taken against those who disclose voluntarily, he added. However, criminal case will be filed against all those who continue to use bogus cards to illegally avail various government schemes, including Anna Bhagya scheme (rice at Re 1 per kg). The department will soon come out with a detailed guidelines for this purpose, the Minister said.