Chandigarh:
SAD-BJP led Punjab government is all set to distribute wheat at Re 1 per kg and pulses at Rs 20 per kg under its new 'Atta Dal' Scheme to beneficiaries from December 1 even as it has decided to double the number of beneficiaries to 31 lakh families.
"Under the new Atta Dal Scheme, present beneficiaries of Antyodoya Anna Yojana, BPL and blue card holders will start getting subsidised wheat and pulses from December 1," official sources said in Chandigarh today.
Punjab government will provide 25 kg wheat at Re 1 per kg and 2.5 kg of pulses at Rs 20 per kg to beneficiaries.
Under the National Food Security Act, the Centre would provide wheat at Rs 2 per kg to beneficiaries.
Earlier, Punjab government had been distributing 25 kg wheat at Rs 4 per kg and 2.5 kg dal at Rs 20 per kg under the Atta-Dal scheme to 15.40 lakh families.
The state government has also finalised criteria for inclusion of new beneficiaries under New Atta-Dal Scheme whereby those who have annual income of less than Rs 60,000, small farmers with land holding less than 2.5 acres, have been included in this scheme.
Those who pay income tax, VAT, service tax, own AC, car, having income more than Rs 60,000 have been kept out of the scheme, they said.
Meanwhile, Punjab government has issued directions to all Deputy Commissioners in the state to identify new beneficiaries under new 'Atta-Dal' scheme and this process would complete by December 16.
With the addition of more beneficiaries under Atta Dal scheme, the financial burden on state government would increase to about Rs 190 crore per annum as major portion of funds would be used for providing subsidised pulses.