Rajasthan belittles BPL families with sop tag

Jaipur: Availing benefits of government welfare schemes was never an easy task for the poor but now it is humiliating.

In order to get benefits of welfare schemes for BPL category, they have to publicly declare their poverty status. They have to put up a yellow coloured sign board outside home, which reads ‘I am poor and I avail government benefits’.

In Dausa, the district administration has painted front walls of BPL beneficiaries’ houses in yellow colour with a declaration that the family is poor and availing BPL benefit. This humiliation is for meager 10 kg wheat under National Food Security Act (NFSA).

Despite this public shaming there is no certainty of receiving the food grain. Around 50,000 households in Sikrai and Bandikui tehsil of Dausa district have been forced to bear this daily humiliation.

However, this is not the first time that the state government has tried to create social divide on economic basis. Earlier, district administration in Bhilwara had marked BPL houses with yellow patch, which had the name of the beneficiary and identification number.

As if that was not embarrassing for the poor family, the government officials in Dausa have gone a step further by adding this self declaration.

What’s more, one signboard was not enough for the overenthusiastic officials who put up three or four declarations on a single house. The officials have been instructed that whoever refuses should be excluded from the list of beneficiaries.

On the contrary, some people have not received ration for months despite having this declaration. Some have now removed their name or the word poor from the signboard.

While, the government claim that this was just to ensure that wrong people are not getting the benefit; experts differ.

According to them, this “marking” of people on economic basis would create divide in the society and may lead to social unrest.

“This kind of public shaming and humiliation would affect morale and self esteem of the family especially the children,” said psychologist Rita Dave.

Notwithstanding the criticism, minister for panchayati raj and rural development, Rajendra Singh Rathore said that this process not only helps in identifying those living in BPL category but also makes it impossible for those who are well off yet and not eligible to receive such benefits yet availing them.