New Delhi: The flagship Food Security Scheme of the UPA Government, to provide cheap foodgrains to 82 crore people, will roll out in the national capital and in Haryana on August 20, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary.
The Food Security Scheme, a pet project of UPA government, which will ensure subsidised foodgrains to nearly 67 per cent of the population of India, is being seen as a game changer for Congress ahead of the Assembly polls in five states and the 2014 Lok Sabha Polls.
Assembly polls to five states, including Delhi, are scheduled to be held in November-December.
Delhi and Haryana will be the first states to roll out the scheme.
The announcement of the launch was made today after consultations between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party Chief Ministers and PCC chiefs.
Talking to reporters here after the meeting, held at the 10, Janpath residence of Ms Gandhi, AICC General Secretary and the chairman of the Congress media department Ajay Maken said,”Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi met the chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states along with the Treasurer AICC Morilal Vora, political secretary Ahmed Patel and AICC general secretaries.
“A presentation on the Food Security Ordinance was made by Union Food Minister K V Thomas at the meeting.”
Mr Maken said at the meeting, the Chief Ministers of Delhi and Haryana said they were ready to implement the scheme on August 20.
“The other Chief Ministers, while welcoming the scheme, said they would ensure that the provisions of the National Food Security Ordinance start getting implemented very soon in their respective states,” he said. The meeting is being seen as strategy by the Congress to derive maximum electoral gains from the Food Security Ordinance. (UNI)
