Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal launch ‘Ghar Ghar Muft Ration’ scheme in Punjab
Under this scheme, beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act will get wheat or ‘atta’ (wheat flour) in bags at their doorsteps.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday launched the Punjab government’s flagship scheme ‘Ghar Ghar Muft Ration’ (doorstep delivery of ration) in Khanna.
Announcing that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will soon announce candidates for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab and the lone Chandigarh parliamentary seat, the party’s national convener Kejriwal and Mann distributed ration at a village in Fatehgarh Sahib, before reaching Khanna to address a rally.
Under this scheme, beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act will get wheat or ‘atta’ (wheat flour) in bags at their doorsteps.
Addressing a rally in Khanna, Delhi CM praised the Bhagwant Mann-led government, saying it has done a “lot of work” in the past two years.
“People will now not have to visit ration (fair price) shops every month. In 75 years, the Congress has ruled for so many years. Tell me one good work the Congress has done. (You) will not remember. If I ask you, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ruled for so many years, tell me one good work the Akali Dal has done. (You) will not remember,” Kejriwal said as he attacked the rival parties.
“It is just two years since Mann became the CM and everybody is getting free electricity. There is a 24-hour electricity supply,” he said, claiming that more than one crore beneficiaries will get ration at their doorsteps.
“How the money came? It is an honest government and does not indulge in corruption,” he asserted, adding that every single penny is being spent on the welfare of the people. “This scheme will not remain limited to Punjab only, he said, adding that one day will come in 5-10 years, this scheme will be implemented throughout the country,’ he said.
Kejriwal alleged that after his party formed the government in Delhi, he tried to implement the same scheme but the BJP government stopped it. “I wanted to stop the theft of ration and get the poor their rights,” he said.
Mann accused the past state governments of ignoring the underprivileged.
“People were forced to stand in the queues outside fair price shops. They were forced to take a day off from their work to get the ration. Now onwards they will get the same at their doorstep,” Mann said, adding that the common man will get the same flour which the chief ministers of Punjab and Delhi are consuming.
“The days have gone when the people used to get substandard and rotten wheat in the ration,” Mann said.
The CM also announced that Verka will soon expand to other parts of the country as well and for the first time outlets will be opened in Delhi.
Taking a jibe at the opposition, Mann said that Congress was a divided house while Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was a non-player in the state
“The Punjab Bachao Yatra of Akali Dal is more of ‘Parivar Bachao Yatra’”, Mann said, alleging that Akalis plundered the state mercilessly.
“SAD is accused of sacrilege incidents in Punjab and Congress has lost its ground as they did nothing for people. Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, had introduced farm laws and many farmers had died while fighting against it. Only AAP deserves votes from Punjab,” Mann said.