Are benefits for poor reaching them: Supreme Court

Justice Kant said there were states which claim to have high per capita income but when it comes to their BPL numbers, they say 70 per cent is below poverty line (BPL).

“…we don’t want to name the state but I read a complete article… when the question of per capita income comes, the state… boasts that my per capita income is much above the poverty line and I am the third richest state… (when) the question of BPL comes… every state claims 70 per cent of their population as BPL. How can these things be reconciled? Our worry is, the benefits which are actually meant for the genuinely poor persons below poverty line, are those benefits percolating into the pockets and kitties of those who don’t deserve it?” Justice Kant asked.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan told the bench even if benefits were being given to some ineligible people, that should not be a reason to deprive ration to millions of poor deserving people.

The counsel said that of the 30 crore people registered on the Centre’s e-Shram portal, about eight crore of the registered people were yet to get ration cards.

He said that many poor persons were reluctant to apply as they believed that they were not going to get it anyway.

Justice Surya Kant said: “It is an extremely genuine cause to ensure that poor people in the country, at least all those are provided with ration at subsidised rates. It’s basically an affordable price for them to enable them to at least have two meals a day.”

He said the court hoped for “issuance of ration cards… there is no politicised consideration” and sought to know if there is any scientific, state-wise data for classifying people as poor.

Justice Kant said: “I keep asking because I have not closed my roots and that’s why I try to find out the plight of the people. Sometimes you feel disappointed that there are families who continue to be poor. For them, the actual benefit is not percolating.”

The court will hear the matter next week.