Public hearing held for BPL families

In order to provide these people a platform to raise their voice and put forth their grievances, the Griha Adhikar Mancha and Alliance of the Urban Poor, in association with the Actionaid, organised a public hearing at the NK Deb Park at Sovabazar. The motive of the hearing was to demand the BPL status for these homeless people.

“The government claims to work for the betterment of the destitute but its actions hardly matches its words. Why BPL status is not given to those who need it the most?” asked Chittaranjan Mondal, Spokesperson of Actionaid.

On February 18 the KMC had declared that a draft BPL list would be prepared where the urban poor had to enlist themselves. Yet, most of the urban poor allege that they were never informed about any such list by the KMC. “We never received any information about BPL cards from any official sources. It was an NGO which informed us,” said Mahesh Gupta, a rickshaw-puller.

It is not just lack of information that plagues the homeless in the city. Even when some of them tried to enquire about the BPL status, they were turned down by the officials. “When I went to submit my BPL form at the ward office I was turned away on the grounds of being homeless. There are other people in my ward who were even beaten up by the officials for the same reason,” said Zulekha Bewa, a resident of Razabazar.

To obtain BPL cards officials demanded voter ID cards and other documents, such as electricity bills from these homeless people. “We do not have voter IDs and other documents because we live on the road,” said Shibani Shau, a domestic helper.