MP govt to distribute free ration in bags with PM, CM photos tomorrow

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

Published on: Aug 6, 2021, 12:04:57 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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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.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (File photo)

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.

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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