Chandigarh: Punjab Congress on Thursday welcomed UPA government`s decision to promulgate an ordinance on food security.
In a statement issued, state Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa said the food security bill was a dream project of Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the ordinance will ensure food to 67 per cent of the country`s total population.
Punjab government had started Atta-Dal scheme for below poverty line people but it only proved to be an election gimmick, he said and alleged that the poor were not getting subsidised food in the state.
Bajwa demanded that the SAD-BJP government should conduct fresh survey of people living below poverty line so that maximum people could take advantage of food security.
Meanwhile, Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said UPA government`s ordinance on food security was to tempt common people on the eve of general elections.
Describing the bill as "poor carbon copy" of the SAD-BJP government`s Atta-Dal scheme, he said the UPA government had never bothered about the interests of poor people.
Pointing out that the Parkash Singh Badal-led government has been providing 35 kg wheat and 4 kg dal from its limited resources to more than 16 lakh families since 2007, Majithia said UPA government has no agenda for welfare of poor people.
PTI
