The food security scheme is likely to get a new name, Indira Amma Food Security.
The Congress-led UPA government's ambitious welfare programme, the national food security scheme, will get a new name soon. It is likely to be called the Indira Amma Food Security.
It will then join a list of over 300 schemes, tournaments, institutions, organisations and such like named after the Nehru-Gandhi family.
Food Minister K V Thomas explained, "One name that came out was that of Indiraji. There was her "Garibi Hatao" slogan. And she's a mother and this bill is centred on the head of the family, so I discussed this matter with my UPA Chairperson and Congress president Madam Gandhi, she has almost agreed to give it the name of Indira Gandhi."
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was the major driver behind the scheme, which is one of the world's largest food programmes; it aims at providing subsidised food to nearly 70 per cent of India's population.
The Congress is trying to derive maximum mileage from its flagship scheme, which it expects to be a major vote-getter in the assembly elections in five states starting next month and then the general elections next year. But the party does not necessarily wait for elections to name schemes after members of its first family.
At last count there were 12 central schemes, 60 state schemes, 30 sports tournaments or trophies, 20 stadia, 15 sanctuaries and museums, five airports and ports, more than a 100 educational institutions, 50 awards and 40 hospitals that bear a Nehru or Gandhi name. And then there are the hundreds of roads and crossings.
The BJP has objected to the move to name the food security scheme for Indira Gandhi. The party's Nirmala Sitharaman described it as "another example of the Congress' political patronage."
"This national obsession, particularly when the Congress is in power, to name things after the first family to which the Congress party may be subservient. But for national projects or schemes to be named after just one particular family may not be helpful at all," the BJP spokesperson said.
When it ruled the BJP too had named several welfare schemes and institutions after its leaders.