Plans to launch new scheme for those without BPL cards The latest entrants to Chief Minister Mayawatis birthday party are those who do not have the below poverty level (BPL) cards. On January 15,her birthday,Mayawati is likely to announce a new scheme for this section one that will entail financial help through cash doles. The scheme is to be named Uttar Pradesh Mukhya Mantri Mahamaya Garib Arthik Sahayata Yojana. Officials are busy working out the details,but sources said a few things have already been settled. Each family will get Rs 300 per month,50 per cent of the beneficiaries will be Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes,and families headed by women will get preference. Only families which do not get the benefit of any existing scheme for the poor will be entitled to avail this scheme. Sources said the idea was to launch the states own pro-poor initiatives which reaches out to those who do not get any benefit from existing schemes like old-age or widow pension and antyodaya. Almost all existing schemes are funded by the Centre and in each a BPL card is the ticket to the benefits. The state government has made several requests to the Centre to increase allocations for various pro-poor schemes,arguing that surveys of BPL families were faulty and did not reflect the correct picture. The Union government has not paid any attention to these requests. As a result,a large number of poor people do not get any benefit because their names do not figure on the BPL list, said an official. The new scheme is expected to serve two purposes. It will help the chief minister counter the Congress which has been trying to get political mileage out of all pro-poor schemes by telling the people they were being financed by the Centre and that the state was just implementing them. Besides,it is expected to build pressure on the Centre to accept the states figure of poor families and increase allocation to various schemes. An official said the survey to identify beneficiary families under the new scheme will be completed in four to five months. However,the government is yet to identify the department that will conduct the survey. One option in consideration is to identify the beneficiaries in open meetings of the gram sabha.
