Taking to villages in the Capital, the Delhi BJP on Sunday said the Food Security Scheme has turned into ‘food insecurity’ for the people. Addressing the villagers as part of its campaign for Assembly polls, State BJP president Vijay Goel alleged that skyrocketing prices of essential commodities in Delhi, particularly of onions and tomatoes, have gone through the roof.
He also accused the Government of having failed to implement the food security programme effectively and said middlemen were reaping dividends instead. “Millions of households in the city have been severely affected by the rising prices of basic commodities. The Food Security Scheme has hit the poor the hardest. They are left at the mercy of officials since foodgrains meant for them are being sold in the open market. With more than 50 per cent posts in the Food and Civil Supplies Department lying vacant and less than 2,500 Fair Price Shops (FPS), the Government has failed to ensure food security to the aam admi in Delhi,” said Goel, while addressing a public rally at Mustafabad.
He said poor families are not getting forms for availing the benefits of the Food Security Scheme. Forms are being sold in the gray market by scalpers anywhere from Rs 50 to Rs 200 apiece. There is complete mayhem about the eligibility criteria for getting ration under the new programme.
“There are so many cards — the Aadhar card, the ration card, the smart card — but no cheap rations. A number of people are also complaining of poor quality foodgrains,” Goel said, adding that under the Scheme implemented by the Delhi Government, only 5 kilos of foodgrains per person in a household are allocated whereas the earlier PDS schemes allocated at least 35 kilos to each family. Thus, a family of five which was getting 35 kilos of foodgrains earlier, will in fact get only 25 kilo foodgrains. This aggravates insecurity among the poor, he added.