NEW DELHI: “If pizza, burgers, smartphones and clothes can be delivered at home, why not ration,” asked CM Arvind Kejriwal at a press meet Sunday, urging PM Modi to lift the “blockade” on the AAP government’s doorstep ration scheme.
The city government had completed all necessary procedures — from filing tenders, issuing work orders to planning the entire delivery mechanism — required for implementing the scheme, the CM claimed, adding people are now scared of overcrowding at ration shops.
“I think door-to-door delivery of ration should be implemented elsewhere too.
It will also help prevent the spread of Covid.
These shops are superspreaders,” Kejriwal said.
Rrequest with folded hands not to stop scheme: KejriwalKejriwal said the Centre has taken the stance that the Delhi government has not taken approval from them, but it is baseless.
He said the city government has been writing multiple letters stating that the scheme is going to be implemented and for taking approval.
He said the Delhi government did this without any legal obligation to do so.
Kejriwal said the Centre had earlier objected to the previous name of the scheme, ‘Mukhyamantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana’.
“Our goal was not to make our name shine.
Anyhow this scheme should be implemented and the poor should start getting their ration.
We accepted your point and removed the name of the scheme itself.
We accepted all the objections you made.
After all this, you say that we did not take your approval? How else to get approval, sir,” he said, addressing the PM.
Kejriwal added the Centre has said the scheme is being stopped due to a court case involving ration shopkeepers in the Delhi High Court, but neither has the HC stayed the scheme, nor has the Centre had put forward any objection in court, he said.
“With folded hands, I request you on behalf of the seven million poor people of Delhi, please do not stop this scheme, it is in the national interest.
Let it happen.
I have supported you in all matters of national interest.
I have always said that there should be no politics in any work of national interest,” Kejriwal said.
“If the government of any opposition party also does any work in the national interest, then we will always support it.
Please support us in this work of national interest.
Till now the governments have kept the poor people of the country standing in the lines of ration for 75 years.
Don’t make them stand in ration lines for the next 75 years, otherwise, these people will not forgive us,” he said.
“This ration is neither mine nor yours.
It is not of the BJP or Aam Aadmi Party.
This ration belongs to the people of this country, bought with their tax money,” he said.
“It is both my responsibility and your responsibility to distribute this ration to the people without theft,” he said.
Kejriwal said that ration in the name of the public is issued in the files but most of it is stolen.
“This ration mafia is very powerful.
Seventeen years ago I dared to challenge this mafia,” he said, adding he used to work in an NGO in the slums of Delhi back then and had ‘dared to get the poor people their ration’.
“It is said that the connections of this ration mafia are very high.
In the 75 years till date, no government has dared to end this mafia,” the CM said.