Cong assails BJP govt of 'saffronising' foodgrain scheme



Dehradun: Taking strong exception to inauguration of a foodgrain scheme for the weaker sections by BJP president Nitin Gadkari, Congress on Friday assailed the BJP government in Uttarakhand for "saffronising" the welfare programme for which food items is provided by the Centre.

"The BJP government in Uttrakhand is saffronising the foodgrains scheme for which food items is provided by the Central government by getting it inaugurated by BJP chief Nitin Gadkari," Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Harish Rawat said in a statement.

The UPA government at the centre is providing subsidised foodgrains for distribution among BPL and Antodya families for weaker sections, he said.

Rawat, member of Lok Sabha from Hardwar in Uttrakhand, asked Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyak Nishank to tell masses the "truth" about the programme.

He also sought to know from him whether the scheme launched today was different from the proposed Food Security Act of the Union government.

On the invitation of the state government, Gadkari today launched "Atal Khaddyanna Yojana" which envisages providing wheat at the rate of Rs 2 per kg while rice at Rs. 3 per kg.

The scheme would benefit around 30 lakh people in Uttarakhand and has a potential to emerge as a "model" scheme for other states, he said speaking on the occasion.

PTI