NEW DELHI: The Delhi government’s scheme for doorstep delivery of ration has triggered another confrontation between the Centre and the AAP government after the lieutenant governor once again “stopped” the scheme, which was ready for an immediate rollout.
The scheme would have benefited more than 72 lakh people (17 lakh ration card holders).
Delhi’s food minister Imran Hussain said the LG raised two concerns – the scheme hasn’t been approved by the central government and that it’s the subject of an ongoing court case — to reject it.
“No approval for launching such a scheme is required as per existing law,” Hussain said in a statement.
Sources in the LG’s office, however, said the “LG has not rejected the scheme as is being portrayed” and has advised for the constitutional scheme of things to be followed in letter and spirit with the sole aim of ensuring smooth decisions and seamless benefits to people.
The file for issuing a notification on home delivery of processed and packaged ration, proposed to be implemented through a private agency, has been returned for reconsideration to the CM by the LG, said the sources.
“It has been advised again, like earlier on March 20, 2018 that since the proposal seeks to change the method of distribution, it would mandatorily require prior approval of the central government as per Section 12 (2) (h) of the National Food Security Act 2013,” said the sources.
The LG has also brought to the notice of the AAP government that a writ petition has been filed by Delhi Sarkari Ration Dealers Sangh in the high court challenging the scheme.
In March, the Centre had objected to the name of the scheme, ‘Mukhymantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojna’.
After accepting all suggestions of the central government, the Delhi government sent the file for final approval and immediate rollout of the scheme to the LG on May 24.
On June 2, the LG returned the file, saying the scheme cannot be implemented.
According to sources, since March 2018, when the scheme was conceived, the AAP government has written at least six letters to the Centre informing it about the scheme.
“The Centre had never objected to the revolutionary scheme.
It had made just one observation on the nomenclature of the scheme, saying that the name “Mukhyamantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana” could not be used since the ration was being distributed under the existing NFS Act.
In order to prevent any controversy, the Delhi cabinet passed a decision to remove the name and implement doorstep delivery of ration as part of the existing NFS Act, 2013.
After addressing all the queries raised by the central government, it was decided to launch the modified scheme soon,” said AAP government sources.
This scheme, which seeks to deliver packed ration at the doorstep of the beneficiaries, has been a subject of multiple confrontations between the AAP government and the LG.
In June 2018, it was one of the reasons behind CM Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers sitting on a dharna for nine days inside the LG’s office but the issue remained unresolved.
The AAP government continued making efforts to launch the scheme but to no avail.
The Delhi govt floated a tender in January this year to engage flour mills for processing of wheat for distribution under the scheme and in February, the Centre raised objections on the nomenclature.
The food minister rejected the argument of an ongoing court case made by the LG’s office.
“There have already been two hearings in this case and no stay has been ordered by the court.
Moreover, the central government is a party to the same case, and in their affidavit too, they haven’t objected to a rollout of the scheme.
The fact that the LG is citing this case to stop rollout of this revolutionary scheme makes it clear that the decision is politically motivated,” said Hussain.
The AAP government says doorstep delivery of ration can address the problems that mar distribution, including corruption, poor quality of foodgrains, black marketing of food articles, etc.
The Delhi government had officially communicated to the central government that it will be rolling out the scheme along with biometrics and Aadhaar verification of the ration card users.
AAP government sources said the scheme would have been a boon for the poor during Covid as it would do away with the need to travel to fair price shops.
The AAP government said Andhra Pradesh, too, had adopted a last-mile delivery system in both urban and rural segments and Haryana has also started a similar scheme through mobile vans.
A pilot of this project has been started in Faridabad and the Haryana government is also distributing fortified wheat in Ambala and Karnal.