Centre has paused doorstep ration plan, says Delhi govt

Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal announced in January that subsidised rations will be delivered to the homes of subscribers from the month of March.

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government has accused the Centre of putting its flagship doorstep ration delivery scheme on hold, the office of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday.

This came as the AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been at loggerheads for the last few weeks especially after the Centre presented the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) Bill (Amendment) 2021 in the Lok Sabha, which seeks to give more powers to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor.

"The BJP ruled Centre has put Delhi government's doorstep delivery scheme on hold. Delhi government's flagship scheme is to provide food grains for the people of the national capital at their doorstep," said a source in the Delhi government.

The Kejriwal government had notified the scheme for the doorstep delivery of rations, which as per the earlier announcement was supposed to roll out by March-end this year. Kejriwal had announced the scheme during his Republic Day speech at the Delhi Secretariat.

The scheme announced under the 'Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojna' (MMGGRY) under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) of the National Food Security Act, 2013, was notified by the government on February 20. The MMGGRY involves the delivery of packed wheat flour and rice to beneficiaries at their doorstep.

Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation has prepared a list of beneficiaries and they will have to pay a processing charge along with the cost of subsidised food grains. The scheme is optional and ration card holders should sign up for the scheme. Delhi has about 17 lakh people registered for the subsidised rations.

With inputs from agency