Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced that the Delhi Government’s free ration scheme to citizens will be extended by six more months, i.e., till May 2022, due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Kejriwal also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing to him to do the same across the country.
Inflation has increased to very high levels and the common man is finding it “difficult to even get two square meals”, Mr. Kejriwal wrote to Mr. Modi.
He also pointed out that many youth were unemployed due to the pandemic.
“The Delhi Government is extending its free ration scheme to the poor for six months. I urged the Central Government to also extend its ration scheme for six months by writing a letter to the Prime Minister. People are in a lot of trouble right now. It would not be right to leave their hand at this juncture,” Mr. Kejriwal tweeted.
During the COVID pandemic, Mr. Kejriwal said, the Central Government had distributed free ration to every ration cardholder across the country and the Delhi Government following suit.
BJP leader hits out
Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, however, accused Mr. Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia of “telling white lies” regarding the distribution of free ration to the poor as well as VAT on fuel prices.
“As many as 72 lakh ration cardholders in Delhi have been provided free ration under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana since April last year, in addition to ration under the National Food Security Act by the Modi Government. The plan is still ongoing,” Mr. Bidhuri said.
“On the other hand, despite the announcement, the Delhi Government is not giving away free ration to 60 lakh people who do not have ration cards. Even the Supreme Court had to direct the Delhi Government to make necessary arrangements of food and ration for the poor and migrant labourers,” he said.
Mr. Bidhuri challenged Mr. Sisodia’s statement that the “Centre was responsible” for inflation in fuel prices. He argued that the AAP Government had increased VAT on both petrol and diesel after coming to power.
“When the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in 2015, VAT was charged at 20% on petrol and 12% on diesel. The Delhi Government later increased VAT on petrol to 30%,” he alleged.
“Not only this, 30% VAT was charged on diesel during the COVID-19 period. Even now, there is 30% VAT on petrol and 16.755% on diesel, which is the highest in the entire country,” he added.
