THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Alleging that the Union government’s insistence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph should be displayed in ration shops was part of BJP’s election campaign, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the Centre’s direction will not be implemented in Kerala.
The state will look into the prospects of taking up the issue with the Election Commission, Pinarayi told the state assembly during question hour on Monday.
“The rationing system has been existing in Kerala for quite long. So are the ration shops. The Centre has mooted an unprecedented campaign. With the Lok Sabha elections around the corner, it’s definitely planned as part of the poll campaign. We’ll inform the Centre that it’s not right, hence difficult to implement. Also, the government will examine whether the matter can be taken up with the Election Commission,” he said.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil said the Union government has directed the state food department and the Food Corporation of India to erect Modi’s photographs in over 14,000 ration shops in Kerala, and file a compliance report. It has also directed to distribute ration goods in carry bags with Union government logo. He said it was not right to misuse the ration distribution system for election campaigning.
Earlier, the state had rejected a direction from the Union government for branding houses constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The direction was to display the PMAY logo at the houses. In Kerala, houses are constructed under the LIFE Mission programme, in which the state government bears over 80% of the cost.