AHMEDABAD: There is a general belief that once a politician gets elected and comes to power his or her financial worries are things of the past. However, there are some elected public representatives whose financial status was below poverty line (BPL) and were eligible for government benefits for BPL. Once they got elected and came to power they lost their BPL status despite no change in their financial situation.
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) recently retracted BPL cards of four sitting councillors. Manjula Thakor, municipal councillor from Saraspur ward, Dishant Thakor from Asarwa ward, Hira Parmar from Chandlodia and Gita Parmar are no longer eligible for government schemes for BPL as their BPL status has been retracted. In the last 15 years, the civic body has cancelled 15 councillors' BPL cards because of the state government's BPL 2007 and 2010 guidelines.
Ex-councillor of BJP from Asarwa ward 52-year-old Ishwar Patani has served two terms. "I used to drive an auto rickshaw and my wife used to sell vegetables before I was first elected in 2010. I left driving rickshaw after becoming a councillor as my responsibilities increased. As a councillor I was getting Rs 3,000-4,500 per monthsalary including all the benefits. When I got reelected in 2015 and in 2018 the civic body increased the salary to Rs 12,000," Patani told TOI. As soon as Patani was elected, his BPL status was revoked.
"I did not get a ticket to contest in 2020-21. I am an ex-councillor who has lost BPL status, and has no government pension. I took up driving an auto rickshaw again and my wife sells vegetables," Patani said. Patani and his family live in a slum house in Bapalal Ghanchi Ni Chawl in Chamanpura area and feels that BPL card would come handy for taking benefit of many government schemes.
Sapana Tomar of Congress got elected as a councillor from Amraiwadi ward in 2015 and her family lost her BPL status. "We live in Nagarvel Mandir Chali in Amraiwadi. My husband works as a labourer in a factory and he also drives an auto rickshaw to meet financial needs of the family," Tomar said. She said that the house that they live in is in a dispute and it is likely that they may lose the house. "When I became a councillor I used to work as a daily labourer. Now, after serving five years as a public representative I am still in the same financial situation and above that we have lost BPL status too," Tomar said.
"As per existing guidelines BPL cards can only be issued to families whose monthly income is less than Rs 501. Once the councillor gets elected he or she gets a salary which is above this limit so we revoke their BPL status," said an AMC official on condition of anonymity.
