NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has been accused for ill-distribution of ration to beneficiaries as the BJP said that around 10 million migrant laborers have been waiting for the ration to be distributed for two months. The BJP alleged that approximately 10 million migrant workers in the city have not received ration for past two months, sparking concerns over the efficacy of the state’s welfare programs.
Addressing a press conference, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, leader of the opposition in the Delhi assembly, leveled strong allegations against the Delhi government.
Bidhuri claimed that over the course of the last two months, a staggering 125,000 quintals of wheat and rice, earmarked for ration distribution under the Central government’s ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ initiative had not been procured by the Delhi government.
Bidhuri highlighted a glaring issue where rice allocations were untouched for a month, due to the Delhi government’s failure to retrieve the allocated rice from the Food Corporation of India warehouses. The BJP also insisted that there was dissatisfaction among ration vendors, who reportedly faced difficulties while interacting with the Food and Supplies Department.
The opposition party alleged a lack of cooperation and responsiveness from the concerned authorities. Abhay Varma, the spokesperson for the Delhi BJP, echoed similar concerns, also emphasizing on an issue related to the renewal of ration cards.
Varma stated that according to legal obligations, ration cards must be renewed every five years to account for changes in cardholders’ circumstances, such as relocation or death. However, the Delhi government has struggled to fulfill this requirement, leaving many in limbo. “In a recent revelation, the Delhi government confessed that a mere three lakh individuals had applied for new ration cards in the High Court, a number that is drastically underestimated,” he said.
In response to these claims, the Delhi government has strongly refuted them, asserting that the distribution of ration to beneficiaries in Delhi has been proceeding seamlessly.
The distribution rate for the past few months has consistently reached approximately 100%, encompassing both the One Nation One Ration Card scheme and other initiatives.
A government official stated that the distribution rate for June 2023 and July 2023 stood at 101% and 107%, respectively. Furthermore, the distribution rate for August 2023 has already reached around 65%.
‘ONE NATION, ONE RATION CARD NOT PROCURED’
Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said that over the course of the last two months, a staggering 125,000 quintals of wheat and rice, earmarked for ration distribution under the Central government’s ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ initiative had not been procured by the Delhi government.