Congress national spokesperson and parliamentarian Sandeep Dikshit on Wednesday alleged that Madhya Pradesh Government’s Annapurna Yojana was stolen from Central Government’s Food Security Bill.
While talking to media persons here, Dikshit stated that the scheme under which the State Government was providing wheat at `1 per kg and rice at `2 per kg was in the Food Security Bill. However, by taking advantage of the forthcoming State elections, the State Government had implemented it before the Food Security Bill was enacted.
He further alleged that the Annapurna scheme has not been started for the welfare of poor people, but on the contrary this is an attempt to take political benefits during elections.
Dikshit, who was in the State capital, said the Congress led UPA at the Centre had in its manifesto in 2009 declared that it would bring out the Food Security Bill and later, in this regard suggestions were invited from voluntary organisations and Chief Ministers of different States. Thus, everybody knew what was in the Bill and in haste Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Governments implemented the scheme of providing food-grains at least prices.
He said this step of both the BJP ruled States is impractical and their objective is only to take political benefits, while the Congress was committed to implement this Bill throughout the country.
He informed that with this Bill around 82 crore people of the country including over 4 crore of Madhya Pradesh, would be benefited. He further said that 3.52 crore people of the State are getting benefits under Antyodaya and other schemes under Public Distribution System (PDS) and by implementing new scheme, 1.40 crore beneficiaries would increase. To a query regarding Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan questioning Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son-in-law Robert Vadra to disclose their property details, Dikshit stated that Chouhan was known for his patience, but before polls, he is loosing his patience.
“Neither Sonia Gandhi nor Vadra are contesting elections from Madhya Pradesh. If he wants their property details, he should approach court,” he added.