Food for below poverty line in Chhattisgarh

from The Economic Times

NEW DELHI: The BJP kicked off its mission to retain power in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday by launching an ambitious food security scheme which will see all families living below poverty line getting 35 kg rice every month at a nominal price of Rs 3 per kg.

The scheme, christened Mukhyamantri Khadyann Sahayata Yojana, was unveiled simultaneously at all district headquarters, with the party enlisting the services of almost all its senior leaders for its take-off: BJP president Rajnath Singh kicked off the programme at Raipur and Bilaspur, former Union minister Murli Manmohar Joshi did the honours at Janjgir, ex-party chief Venkaiah Naidu at Raigarh and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi at Ambikapur.

Other chief ministers and senior leaders too were pressed into service. These included Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Rajnandgaon), his Rajasthan counterpart Vasundhara Raje (Durg), Uttarakhand head of government B C Khanduri (Korba) and Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi (Kanker). Rallies were held after its launch at all centres.

The scheme, which will cost the state exchequer Rs 837 crore every year, is expected to benefit 34 lakh families in all, including 19 lakh families belonging to SCs and STs.The Chhattisgarh government, according to chief minister Raman Singh, had taken steps to make the scheme foolproof so as to prevent the misuse of grain sold under it. “Apart from issuing special ration cards with bar-codes, the beneficiaries will be offered rice in a packet with a special logo emblazoned on it to prevent its sale in the open market,’’ the chief minister said.

The party hopes to capitalise on the goodwill generated by the scheme among the people, especially SCs/STs, to strengthen its case in the assembly elections scheduled to be held in the state by the end of the year. The party will have to marshal all its resources to overcome the anti-incumbency.

In the assembly polls held in 2003, the BJP bagged 50 seats in the 90-member House, while the Congress could win only 37 seats. The latter is hoping to use the anti-incumbency feelings against the Raman Singh government to its advantage to stage a comeback.