Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has taken a firm stand against the BJP-led Central government’s plan to remove over 8 lakh ration card holders from the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Punjab, vowing that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will not allow a single card to be deleted. Addressing a press conference, Mann fiercely criticized the Centre’s criteria for disqualifying beneficiaries, accusing it of attempting “ration chori” (ration theft) after alleged “vote chori” (vote theft).
Mann revealed that a recent report from the Centre flagged 8,02,493 ration card holders as ineligible, potentially affecting 32 lakh people, assuming an average of four members per family. Under the NFSA, beneficiaries receive 5 kg of wheat per month at Rs 2 per kg. The Centre’s criteria for removal include owning a four-wheeler, having a business turnover of Rs 25 lakh, or possessing more than 2.5 acres of land. Mann questioned the logic behind these rules, asking, “If a ration card holder gets a government job and moves to the city, should their family lose access to ration? If one sibling owns a car, why punish the entire family?”
Mann asserted that Punjab has 1.53 crore NFSA beneficiaries, with 1.29 crore already verified. He has requested six months from the Centre to complete the verification process to ensure fairness. “This is the AAP government, and we always stand by the poor,” he declared, emphasizing his commitment to protecting vulnerable citizens.
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The Chief Minister also criticized the Centre’s criteria for other schemes like PM Awas Yojana, claiming they exclude nearly all Punjabis by disqualifying those with basic amenities like a ceiling fan or scooter. He cited the Centre’s claim that 24,097 ration card holders own four-wheelers as an example of flawed reasoning.
Mann also addressed accusations from the BJP, which claimed the AAP government forcibly stopped its awareness camps at 39 locations across Punjab. The BJP described these camps as part of its outreach program, BJP De Sewadar, Aa Gaye Tuhade Dwar, aimed at connecting people with Central welfare schemes. However, Mann accused BJP workers of illegally collecting personal data, such as phone numbers and PAN details, under the guise of these schemes. “What happened in Bihar? They were embarrassed in the Supreme Court,” he remarked, referencing a similar controversy.
Responding to BJP’s allegations that AAP collected voter data under the pretext of its Rs 1,000 monthly promise to women, Mann clarified that his government is building a database for the scheme without seeking sensitive personal information or inquiring about voting preferences. He accused the BJP of having a “habit of looting votes,” escalating the political row.
The controversy, also highlighted in recent posts on X, underscores the tension between the AAP-led Punjab government and the BJP-led Centre, with Mann positioning himself as a defender of the poor against what he calls unjust Central policies. As the debate intensifies, Mann’s pledge to safeguard every ration card signals a broader fight to protect Punjab’s welfare system.
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