Punjab Congress MLAs on Wednesday criticised chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for comparing the state's atta-dal scheme with the food security bill brought forth by the UPA regime at the Centre.
In a joint statement here, party MLAs Amarinder Singh Warring, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Jagmohan Singh Kang, Karan Kaur Brar, Ajit Inder Singh Mofar and Brahm Mohindra said the atta-dal scheme was "a political ploy of the ruling Akali-BJP alliance in Punjab to lure votes from BPL (below poverty line) families" and it had outlived its utility.
They said the SAD-BJP government had not covered all poor families under this scheme and had discriminated with beneficiaries on political considerations.
The food security bill, on the other hand, would ensure the coverage of 67% population of poor people, they said.
Badal had on Tuesday stated in Ludhiana that the food security bill was a half-hearted replica of the Akali-BJP government's atta-dal scheme.
The MLAs questioned the ability of the SAD-BJP regime in implementing modalities under the proposed Food Security Act in its true spirit, "given the past track record in implementing centrally sponsored schemes such as Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and National Rural Health Mission."
The Congress MLAs said the Badal government had promised to give 35-kg atta and 4-kg dal to BPL families, but it supplied only 25-kg wheat and that too after diverting stocks meant for the union government's Above Poverty Line (APL) scheme.
The MLAs questioned the ability of the SAD-BJP regime in implementing modalities under the proposed Food Security Act in its true spirit, "given the past track record in implementing centrally sponsored schemes such as Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and National Rural Health Mission."
The Congress MLAs said the Badal government had promised to give 35-kg atta and 4-kg dal to BPL families, but it supplied only 25-kg wheat and that too after diverting stocks meant for the union government's Above Poverty Line (APL) scheme.
They said the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, in its report for 2012-13, stated, "In violation of the (Centre's) instructions, the director, food and civil supplies & consumer affairs, Punjab (DFSC), intimated to district controllers/Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd (Punsup) to divert the wheat allocated by the union government for APL families to the atta-dal scheme."
"The SAD-BJP government has earned a reputation for pilfering and misusing central funds," the legislators added.