Notwithstanding the delay in passage of the "game changer" Food Security Bill in Parliament, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today launched the ambitious programme in Delhi on the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, while hailing it as an "unparalleled" scheme in the world.
The scheme was rolled out in three Congress-ruled states of Delhi, Haryana and Uttarakhand even as the consideration of the Bill was scuttled in Parliament by the Opposition, which cornered the government on the issue of missing files related to the coal block allocation.
Unveiling the scheme by handing over food grain packets and Aadhar-based smart cards to a number of poor women, Gandhi lauded UPA government for bringing "revolutionary changes" in the life of common man but noted that the struggle is not yet over and a lot was still to be done.
Maintaing that there are still people in the country who do not get two-square meals and that it was the duty of the government to take care of the poorest of the poor, Gandhi said that was the reason the why the food security programme was conceived.
"We made the scheme so that nobody remains hungry in the country and no one's child sleeps hungry. Giving food security in such a large scale is unparalleled in the world," she said.
"Two-third of the nation's 125 crore people will be provided food grains at very cheap rates. Over 80 crore people in the country will get food grains at cheaper rates besides 50 per cent of the urban population will also benefit from it. world and we are pround of it," she added.
The Food Security programme will be the biggest in the world with the government spending estimated at Rs 125,000 crore annually on supply of about 62 million tonnes of rice, wheat and coarse cereals to 67 per cent of the population.
Under the scheme, the beneficiaries will have the right to get 5 kg foodgrains every month at highly subsidised rates of Rs 1-3 per kg.
Emphasising the need to plug the loopholes in the public distribution system, she said "we all know, there are many deficiencies in the PDS system. That is why, great importance has been attached to bring in reforms in the PDS under the food security programme so that benefits of the law reaches to right people and there is no scope for corruption."
She also recalled Rajiv Gandhi's concern for the poor and added that "UPA government is following the ideals of Gandhi and continuously marching forward to bring revolutionary changes in the lives of the aam admi."
While Gandhi refrained from attacking the opposition, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Food Minister K V Thomas slammed them for obstructing the passage of the Bill in Parliament. Thomas was in particular critical of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of delaying the "right of the people".
