The idol of Raja Ram was consecrated and the Ram Darbar inaugurated at the Ram Jamnabhoomi complex on Thursday, a major step towards completion of a grand temple that has been at the intersection of political and religious discourse for three decades.
The city was festooned and lit up as priests gathered at the first floor of the Ram temple to install the almost five-feet white marbled stat- ue of Raja Ram, the god in his royal form, amid the chant- ing of hymns and elaborate rituals.
The Ram Darbar also features the idols of Sita, Laksh- man, Bharat, Shatrughn and Hanuman. The day, chosen to coincide with the occasion of Ganga Dussehra, comes 16 months after the consecration of Ram Lalla, the child god, on January 22, 2024.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the top government brass and a host of celebrities were present formation Reports (FIRs).
The state government attributes this drop to a special verification drive launched in April, during which residents were asked to update their in- come details on the state’s Family ID portal.
The officials said that this data correction drive has had a direct impact on Haryana’s Public Distribution System (PDS). The upcoming July distribution cycle will see approximately 3.9 lakh fewer families receiving subsidized food grains under various government welfare schemes.
Officials say the move is part of a larger push to ensure that government subsidies and benefits reach only the most deserving sections of society.
The decline in BPL numbers is being observed across the state. The largest reduction has occurred in Sirsa, where 29,652 fami- lies were removed from the list. Gurugram followed with a drop of 26,559 fami- lies, and Karnal saw 23,035 deletions.
The smallest decrease was reported in Charkhi Dadri, where 8093 families exited the BPL roster. Over the past few years, the BPL list in Haryana had expanded dramatically, raising eyebrows.
In 2020-21, the number of BPL families stood at just 8.67 lakh, but by early 2025, that number had soared to more than 5.1 million covering about 70 percent of the state’s population.
This six-fold increase triggered concerns about misuse and prompted the government to initiate corrective steps to cleanse the records. While ineligible families are being removed, the government continues to roll out several welfare schemes for those who re- main on the BPL list. Under the BPL Family Loan Scheme 2025, families from Scheduled Castes can avail loans of up to Rs 1.5 lakh at just 4 percent interest to start small enterprises.
The Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Yojana provides free residential plots and financial aid up to Rs 1 lakh to eligible rural fami- lies for building homes. Additionally, the Lado Lakshmi Scheme offers Rs 2,100 monthly assistance to adult women from BPL households to promote their financial independence.
Officials say the verification process will remain ongoing and that BPL data will be updated regularly through the Family ID sys- tem to maintain transparency and accountability.
The number of BPL families in Haryana has seen a sharp increase over the past five years. Government data shows that in 2020-21, the state had 8.67 lakh BPL families. This number surged to 32.69 lakh in 2022-23, increased further to 44.91 lakh in 2023-24, and now stands at 51.83 lakh for 2024-25.
With an average family size of four, this means that more than two crore people in Haryana are classified as BPL. To support marginalized communities, the Haryana government has introduced various financial assistance schemes.
The BPL beneficiaries got several benefits including free ra- tion. The government had also announced plans to provided free residential plots to the BPL card holders.
