Punjab Congress on Friday asserted that the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab was running away from its responsibility in implementing Food Security Act (FSA) and playing mischief with the poor people eligible to get benefit of the food programme.
In a statement here, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa ridiculed the claim of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal that Food Security Act was carbon copy of Atta-Dal Scheme.
“SAD-BJP Government is running Atta-Dal Scheme by diverting funds from the Centre’s Above Poverty line (APl) food programme - the fact highlighted in the CAG report. The so-called Atta-Dal Scheme has proved failure due to mismanagement and corruption. It covered only a fraction of eligible beneficiaries in the State,” said Bajwa.
He added, by its own admission, SAD-BJP Government has stated that five lakh more poor families would be covered under Atta-Dal Scheme after fresh survey but by moderate estimates more than 25 lakh families are still out of the ambit of this scheme.
PPCC chief pointed out that Haryana and Delhi States were launching Food Security programme from August 20, the birthday of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. “Punjab is lagging behind in all Centrally-sponsored schemes as a result of which people of the State were deprived of their benefits,” he added.