AHMEDABAD: For the past many years BJP and Congress councillors , including a former BJP mayor at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) have been enjoying subsidies of a BPL card holder . This despite being paid hefty honorariums and even enjoying the perks of holding an office — a bungalow, car and attendants.

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) standing committee has put on its agenda this week the name of former mayor Kanaji Thakore along with 23 serving and ex-municipal councilors of BJP and Congress to be immediately struck off the Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holder’s list.

The controversial move was undertaken as a face-saving measure ahead of the general elections later this year. To begin with, AMC declared the names of 10 serving municipal councilors and former mayor Kanaji Thakore, Congress corporator from Jamalpur Mushtaq Ahmed Khadiwala, BJP’s Gayaprasad Moolchand Kanodia from Hatkeshwar, Jagdish Kantilala Parmar a BJP councilor from Girdharnagar, Amrish Patel a BJP councilor from Asarwa who was even an MLA few years ago.

AMC sources say that the urgent move was undertaken after some RTI applications were filed by citizens to know the status of BPL card holders in the municipal corporation.

Among the 23 names are Janaki Chauhan, Hari Makwana, Praveen Parmar, Jignesh Parmar and Ganpat Parmar. At least three BPL lists were prepared in various phases between 2009-2011. What has surprised many is that most of these councilors had avoided revealing their financial status despite enjoying various posts in the AMC.