The central government has blocked plans to launch the doorstep delivery of rations from next week, the Arvind Kejriwal administration said on Saturday, in the latest episode in the tussle between the two sides that share responsibilities in the capital.
“Delhi government was all set to launch the Doorstep Delivery of Ration scheme across Delhi within 1-2 days, benefiting 72 lakh poor beneficiaries across Delhi. Based on central government’s suggestion, Delhi cabinet has passed a decision to remove the name “Mukhyamantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojna” for the scheme and to implement doorstep delivery of ration as part of the existing NFS Act, 2013. This addresses all the concerns of central government,” the government said in a statement.
“[However] LG (Lieutenant Governor) has rejected the file for implementation of Doorstep Delivery of Ration citing two reasons – centre is yet to approve the scheme, and an ongoing court case. No approval for launching such a scheme is required as per existing law,” it added.
On Twitter, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party made a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “Mr Prime Minister, what kind of an arrangement do you have with the ration mafia that you had to stop the Kejriwal government’s ‘Ghar Ghar Ration Scheme’?”
The central government had flagged several concerns about the scheme in March saying it could result in ration card holders buying grains and other necessities at a higher rate than what is fixed under a central law, according to news agency PTI.
According to the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the scheme could also make it difficult for recipients of the subsidies to relocate and stall a shift towards biometric verification of beneficiaries, PTI reported.
The Delhi government had cleared the proposal to allow home delivery of rations to all cardholders of the capital last year in July to implement one of the major promises made by the Aam Admi Party in the run-up to the assembly polls held in February.
The scheme called ‘Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana’ would let the beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 get the rations delivered home, making visits to the shops optional and eliminate corruption, the Delhi government had said.
The Delhi government had initially planned to roll out the scheme in March
Surjitt sahani
