CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government is acting like a “ration dacoit” and ruthlessly depriving 8, 02, 493 Punjabis of free ration. It is clearly visible that ration cards of these people are being cancelled due to the mistakes and incompetence of the Punjab Aam Aadmi Party government, not because of the central government. This was stated by Punjab BJP’s working president Ashwani Sharma.
Sharma said that if the Modi-led central government has been able to provide free ration for years to 1.5 crore Punjabis, then why would it stop the free ration of just 8, 02, 493 people?
Justifying his point, Sharma said the National Food Security Act, 2013 clearly lays down that identifying beneficiaries is the responsibility of the state government. He further explained that the central government only sends free rations to those people who are identified by the state.
Sharma alleged that the real reason behind the ration card cancellations was AAP’s own founder Prashant Bhushan, since he had filed a case in the Supreme Court saying that free ration was being received by the rich instead of the poor. Because of this, the Court passed orders ensuring that only eligible beneficiaries should receive free rations. Implementing this decision is the responsibility of state governments, since the Act grants this power to them. So, why is Bhagwant Mann blaming the central government?
Ration Dacoit
Punjab Government Robbing 8 Lakh Punjabis of Free Ration Sharma further said – If Modi’s central government can provide free ration to 1.5 crore Punjabis, then why should the ration of 8 lakh people be stopped? In 2022, it was the Bhagwant Mann government itself that cancelled the ration cards of needy people – says Ashwani Sharma.
However, despite seeking three extensions of time on the Supreme Court, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has failed to complete the verification process, yet continues to blame the Centre.
Sharma added that Bhagwant Mann objects to the verification being carried out under the Supreme Court’s orders, but when he himself launched a verification drive in September 2022, was that not an injustice to beneficiaries?
The truth is that during that verification drive, many genuine needy people were excluded, while names of AAP workers and leaders – who were not even eligible for free ration – were included. This is what has caused the present crisis.
Ashwani Sharma warned that if the government does not stop “looting the rights of the poor, ” the BJP will launch a mass agitation on the streets. He demanded that the state government immediately release a transparent, district-wise report and ensure timely resolution of pending verifications so that no beneficiary is deprived of their rightful entitlement.