New BPL Criteria Announced for Eighth Phase
The Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department of Himachal Pradesh has issued revised eligibility criteria for the eighth phase of Below Poverty Line (BPL) list preparation. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's government aims to include vulnerable groups such as orphaned children, elderly-only households, and families with disabled or seriously ill members.
Key Eligible Categories
Families with orphaned children below the age of 27 years are now eligible. Additionally, households where all members are aged above 59 years and have no adult member between 27 and 59 years of age qualify for inclusion. The department also specified that families whose head has a disability of 40 percent or more, and those whose earning members suffer from cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, muscular dystrophy, haemophilia, thalassemia, or any other serious illness causing permanent disability, are eligible.
Furthermore, families in which all adult members worked for at least one day under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) during the previous financial year, as well as landless families, are also included in the revised criteria.
Exclusions and Conditions
Households paying income tax or with an annual income exceeding Rs 75,000 will not be eligible. Also, if any family member is employed in a government, semi-government, or private job, the family will be disqualified from the BPL list. The department emphasized that meeting the eligibility criteria or participating in the survey does not automatically guarantee inclusion.
Verification Process and Timeline
Applications received under the eighth phase will be verified at the village, block, and district levels. The deadline for completing the application, verification, and recommendation process is July 5. The final BPL list will be published by July 15, as per the department's orders.
