Refuting allegations made by the BJP, the Congress on Tuesday came down heavily on the Opposition party. Terming all BJP’s accusations as ‘stupid and baseless’, the Congress cleared its stand on issues like food security, health services, and other welfare schemes stating that these schemes are immensely benefiting lakhs of people in Delhi.
Reacting to Delhi BJP President Vijay Goel’s claim of 72 per cent of Delhi’s population being bereft of food security, Delhi’s Urban Development Minister Arvinder Singh lovely said, “We have made Delhi’s citizens most prosperous in India.
Goel is predictably unaware of the Food Security Bill that gives 50 per cent urban households subsidised food to secure all households across India, irrespective of their economic condition or level of food security.”
“Criticising the Delhi Government on the Food Security programme also means criticising BJP’s Governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh since nearly 90 per cent households are being provided with food security in these States,” lovely said.
Replying to BJP’s allegation of having increased employment rate only by 0.4 per cent from 1999 till 2013, lovely said, “The BJP should know that the current employment is much more than the mess created by them during their rule when 12.6 per cent people were unemployed.” He even targeted Goel’s door-to-door campaign saying that such activities are a must for them as they wake up only at the time of elections. “We already have a connection with the public; we do not need to do such stunts to appease the masses,” he said.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s Power Minister, Haroon Yusuf assured that the Public Distribution System (PDS) will be streamlined. “Eighteen FIRs have been lodged, 27 Fair Price Shops (FPS) have been sealed, six policemen in-charge of enforcement have been suspended and the report will be out within a week. We have roped in the latest technology to deal with the corruption. So things are in progress,” he said.
Addressing the media at Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s residence, Delhi’s PWD Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan alleged that the BJP was factually incorrect in levelling charges against the ruling party.
“Over 91 per cent of the State budget was spent in 2012-’13. Where has Goel fabricated his claim of 29 per cent of it being unspentIJ In fact, Delhi which was governed by the BJP in 1997-1998 had spent only 26.3 per cent of its budget, which currently stands at 98.2 per cent under our rule.”
Earlier the BJP had blamed the Congress Government of failing to spend 29 per cent of its health budget in the city.