New Delhi: A day after Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal slammed Centre for blocking its doorstep ration delivery scheme, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit back at Delhi govt while putting strong counters to the allegations.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday called the scheme a ‘jumla’and also accused Delhi government of working under the control of the ration mafia.
Taking a dig at Kejriwal, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “What Kejriwal is talking about home delivery of ration when he even failed to provide oxygen to the people of Delhi.” He further questioned the Chief Minister of Delhi and asked,”why the Centre’s “One Nation, One Ration Card” scheme was not implemented in the national capital.”
Minister’s dig at Kejriwal govt
Briefing mediapersons, Prasad said, “Arvind Kejriwal ji is talking about delivering ration in every household. He could not deliver oxygen…could not deliver medicine from mohalla clinics. Doorstep ration delivery is also a jumla. The Delhi Government is under the control of the ration mafia. Arvind Kejriwal ji should answer why ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ was not implemented in Delhi? What is the problem?”
“Why has authentication of PoS machines has not started in Delhi’s ration shops from April 2018 till now? Arvind Kejriwal ji does not worry about the SC/ST category. He does not even worry about the migrant laborers and the poor,” alleged Prasad.
The union minister said the Government of India provides wheat at Rs 2 per kg and rice at Rs 3 per kg across the country. Rice costs Rs 37 per kg and wheat costs Rs 27 per kg. The Government of India gives food grains to the states for distribution through ration shops by giving subsidies. The central government spends about Rs 2 lakh crore annually on this.
“Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, like last year, this time also free ration is being given to the poor till November. ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ is a very important scheme started by the Government of India.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow the implementation of doorstep ration delivery scheme in the national capital.
“Till date, I have supported you in all the work of national interest, you should also support us for the same. The scheme should be implemented in the whole country during the COVID times. We are ready to do whatever amendments the Central government wants to make to this scheme. I request you in folded hands on behalf of 70 lakh poor people of Delhi, Sir, please do not stop this scheme,” wrote Kejriwal in his letter to Prime Minister Modi.
On Sunday, in a press conference, Kejriwal had said that all preparations had been made for the scheme.
“Just two days before the ‘doorstep delivery of ration’ scheme’s implementation, the Central government stopped it. If this ghar-ghar ration scheme was implemented, the ration mafia would be stopped. The strings of this ration mafia reach right to the top. This is the first time a government has had courage to stand up to the ration mafia,” he had said.
Row over Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana
The scheme was originally named the MMGGRY (Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana) but a notification on March 9 was issued by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs that the subsidised foodgrains being allocated by the department for distribution under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) cannot be used for running any state-specific or other scheme under a different name other than NFSA.
Following this, the Delhi government dropped the name.
