BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi slams AAP for not implementing 'one nation, one ration card' scheme

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Meenakshi Lekhi slammed the Delhi government on Sunday for not implementing the Centre's One Nation One Ration Card scheme till now and accused it of wanting to put middlemen in between the ration distribution process to make room for corruption.

The BJP MP said, "Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the Central government provides ration to every state and Delhi government is distributing free ration under this law only...It has not implemented the law till now though."

Alleging that the Delhi government wants to put middlemen in between the process, Lekhi added, "Rations are being delivered in the whole country through the ePOS system by linking it with beneficiaries' Aadhar card to curtail the scope for corruption in the implementation of the scheme. Delhi is the only place where no ration shops have an ePOS system."

Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra addressed a press conference on Sunday where he lashed out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who claimed that the Centre was not approving Delhi's 'door-to-door' ration delivery scheme. The BJP leader stated that the PM Modi-led government was organizing ration for the poor amid the pandemic through several other schemes such as the National Food Security Act and PM Garib Kalyan Yojana.

"Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Other Yojana, 72,782 metric tonnes of food grains have been sent to Delhi over and above the fixed quota till May and June 5. Delhi has been able to lift only about 53,000 metric tonnes of food grains so far and only 68 percent of it has been distributed to the public. Arvind Kejriwal gives only Rs 2 per kg on wheat under the National Food Security Act and the central government gives Rs 23.7 per kg. On rice, Kejriwal ji gives only Rs 3 per kg and the central government gives Rs 33.79 per kg," said Sambit Patra.

Kejriwal alleges Centre is blocking his ration delivery scheme

Addressing a press brief on Sunday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why the Centre had not approved his 'door-to-door' ration delivery scheme yet. Claiming that the 'ration mafia' were holding citizens' ransom for 75 years, Kejriwal said that there should be no politics for the national interest. 

"Just two days before the 'Doorstep Delivery of Ration' scheme's implementation in Delhi, the central govt stopped it. They claim we didn't take approval. We took approval not just once, but five times. Legally, we don't need Centre's approval but we did so out of courtesy", said Kejriwal.

(With Agency Inputs)