(Asks beneficiaries to hold Cong Mla’s and leaders responsible for pressurising govt officials to distribute the relief to their supporters first)
Chandigarh, May 6( Wishavwarta )- Union food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today said central food relief material was not being distributed to the people in Punjab and urged the beneficiaries to hold Congress party legislators and representatives responsible for not extending this benefit to them.
In a statement here, the Union minister said there were reports from across the State that even though the central relief including wheat and pulses had started reaching Punjab more than a fortnight back, the distribution had not started in most places. “Barring a few districts, the government is not distributing the relief to the people. This despite the fact that one lakh metric tonnes of wheat and 6,000 metric tonnes of pulses have been received from the centre by the State government as of now”.
Stating that there was political bias in the distribution of the relief material, Mrs. Harsimrat Badal said distribution had been mainly started in Ludhiana and Patiala districts represented by the Food and Civil Supplies minister and the Chief Minister. “Moreover Congress leaders are putting pressure on the district administrations to distribute the relief to their supporters first instead of distributing the same on merit. There are also reports of embezzlement of wheat and pulse stores”.
While asking the State government to start distribution of the relief material without any further delay, Mrs. Badal said the 1.4 crore beneficiaries who were to be benefitted by this scheme also deserved to know why they were not been given the benefit. She said most beneficiaries needed the relief including 5 kg wheat and one kg pulses right now.
Mrs Badal urged the people to form village level committees to ensure transparent and meritorious distribution of the relief material and not let Congressmen take over the distribution. She also urged the people to hold the Congress legislators and leaders accountable for the extreme delay in distribution and politicisation of the humanitarian exercise.