BJP slams Odisha government over free rice scheme in state
BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Saturday criticised the state government for claiming credit for the food security programme announced by the Centre under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).
Targeting the Government, State BJP general secretary Golak Mohapatra said the announcement made by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to provide five kg rice and one kg pulses to beneficiaries covered under National Food Security Programme is misleading.
The Government has little contribution in the supply of 5 kg of rice and 1 kg of dal free of cost as the Centre bears the major cost.
Mohapatra said the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently approved further extension of PMGKAY as part of economic response to COVID-19 for additional allocation of food-grains from the Central pool for another five months from July to November.
The Centre has been providing free food to over 80 crore people of the country under PMGKAY so that poor and vulnerable families are able to access food-grains easily without facing any financial distress.
The state government launched its own food security scheme on October 2, 2019.
The BJP has been demanding to make the names of the beneficiaries covered under the State scheme public to bring better transparency about the beneficiaries.
“The BJD Government has been ignoring our demand as large number of beneficiaries are from the ruling party and a majority of them are not eligible,” Mohapatra said.