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NRIs, film stars figure in Kerala’s BPL list

Thiruvananthapuram, December 27: Kerala’s list of below poverty line (BPL) households includes some film stars and non-resident Indians (NRIs), a minister said Tuesday, adding that the “mistake” will be corrected.

“I do not want to name the film stars, but the truth has been found out that they, along with some NRIs, figure in the BPL list. We are soon going to rectify this,” the state’s Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Shibhu Baby John told reporters here. He added that some 23,000 government employees too are named in the BPL list. As per the current figures compiled by the Kerala government, the state has close to 20 lakh BPL households, with another 56 lakh households classified as above poverty line (APL).
A BPL card holder (one per family) gets 25 kg of rice monthly at Re.1 per kg, while those in the APL list get the same quantity at Rs.2, besides other benefits.