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Delhi food minister meets Yadav over functioning of the PDS
New Delhi, June 23: Delhi government today demanded from the Centre revision of the family income limit for Below the Poverty Line (BPL) and antyodaya families upwards to bring more poor people under the scheme.
New Delhi, June 23: Delhi government today demanded from the Centre revision of the family income limit for Below the Poverty Line (BPL) and antyodaya families upwards to bring more poor people under the scheme.
The demand was made when the state's food and civil supplies minister Haroon Yusuf met Union Food Minister Sharad Yadav here today.
Yusuf also dismissed charges made by the BJP on the alleged poor functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS) saying the offtake of grains under the scheme was over over 95 per cent in the January-March quarter this year.
He said that the Centre's income criteria of Rs 24,200 per BPL family and 4.09 lakh ceiling for number of beneficiaries was very strict and rigid due to which more poor families cannot be covered under the scheme.
Yadav had ordered a ministry level probe last week over the functioning of PDS in Delhi after the main opposition party, the BJP alleged its benefits were not reaching those eligible to purchase grains under the system.
Centre has pointed out to the Delhi government that while it had issued more number of ration cards under BPL category than the estimated number of households, it was yet to identify all the antyodaya families.
According to the latest central government data, estimated number of BPL households in national capital territory region of Delhi is 3.46 lakhs, ration cards issued are in excess at 3.94 lakhs. These include the jhuggi ration cards. Estimated antyodaya households are 63,000 but the distinctive cards have been issued to only 31,000 of them.
Bureau Report
Yusuf also dismissed charges made by the BJP on the alleged poor functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS) saying the offtake of grains under the scheme was over over 95 per cent in the January-March quarter this year.
He said that the Centre's income criteria of Rs 24,200 per BPL family and 4.09 lakh ceiling for number of beneficiaries was very strict and rigid due to which more poor families cannot be covered under the scheme.
Yadav had ordered a ministry level probe last week over the functioning of PDS in Delhi after the main opposition party, the BJP alleged its benefits were not reaching those eligible to purchase grains under the system.
Centre has pointed out to the Delhi government that while it had issued more number of ration cards under BPL category than the estimated number of households, it was yet to identify all the antyodaya families.
According to the latest central government data, estimated number of BPL households in national capital territory region of Delhi is 3.46 lakhs, ration cards issued are in excess at 3.94 lakhs. These include the jhuggi ration cards. Estimated antyodaya households are 63,000 but the distinctive cards have been issued to only 31,000 of them.
Bureau Report