Madhya Pradesh state government will spend about ₹16 crore in distributing ration bags with pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Anna Utsav scheduled for August 7.
The state government will distribute 10kg ration: 5kg free under Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana and another 5 kg for Re 1 in a bag. These bags have cost the state government ₹13.90 each.
The state has 48.1 million beneficiaries and ration bags will be distributed to 11.5 million families via 25,435 public distribution system (PDS) shops. The bags have pictures of the PM and CM on one side and a special message from the PM on another side, said an officer of MP civil supplies corporation on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to talk to media.
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“The scheme will go on till November as per the announcement made by the PM Narendra Modi and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan but the bags will be distributed once only,” the officer said.
{{/usCountry}}“The scheme will go on till November as per the announcement made by the PM Narendra Modi and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan but the bags will be distributed once only,” the officer said.
{{/usCountry}}However, the Opposition raised questions on spending extra money on getting specials bags made. “Free ration is being distributed since April last year so why has the BJP-led government decided to distribute ration bags now? This is nothing but a move to clean the image which was hit during the second wave of Covid-19. They are trying to make people feel as if they are doing some favour by providing free ration. They are misusing power for their branding,” said MP Congress committee spokesperson JP Dhanopia.
However, food and civil supplies minister Bisahulal Singh said, “We are working according to the will of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help the poor. We can’t see anyone starving so we are going to organise Anna Utsav.”
He added that the objective behind distributing bags is to popularise the scheme. “PM Narendra Modi doesn’t need branding. He is already popular among common people,” he added.
In 2018, the BJP-led state government then stoked a controversy by introducing tiles with pictures of the CM and PM to fit in the houses being constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. After a furore, they withdrew the decision.