File photo of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today launched the UPA government's ambitious Food Security scheme in the state aimed at benefiting around 4.64 crore people.
Speaking on the occasion Mr Gehlot said, foodgrains would be distributed every month from the 20th till the end of the month through the public distribution system (PDS) and will be available at all ration shops.
Mr Gehlot claimed Rajasthan would be the first state to implement the scheme after conducting an extensive survey and revising the beneficiary list, adding Haryana, Delhi and Uttarakhand have implemented it without any such exercise.
After three months of survey across the state, the government has selected around 90 lakh families (about 4.64 crore people) as beneficiaries under the scheme, Mr Gehlot said.
About 38.83 lakh beneficiaries of BPL and Antyodaya Anna Yojana would, however, continue to get 35 kg of wheat at Re one per kg every month, Mr Gehlot said.
Over 50 lakh new beneficiaries under the Food Security Scheme would get wheat at Rs two per kg, rice at Rs three per kg and bajra at Re one per kg.
Besides existing ones, about 2,000 new ration shops would be opened to distribute foodgrains under the scheme, the Chief Minister said.
The scheme was today launched at all district headquarters and panchayat samitis by other ministers.
In an indirect remark at BJP, Mr Gehlot said, communal forces were trying vitiate the state's atmosphere on the eve of the Assembly polls, but the state government would not let it happen and the Congress would hold "shanti sandesh yatra".