Centre should take over rationing system in national capital: Delhi BJP

New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) The Delhi BJP on Saturday urged the Centre to either take over the ration system or transfer the subsidy issued by the Centre to the bank accounts of the consumers as the Delhi government has "failed" to provide ration to the poor.

Accusing the Kejriwal-led government of depriving 72.78 lakh ration cardholders of the national capital from the ration in November and December, Delhi Pradesh BJP Working President Virendra Sachdeva and Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the rationing system in the national capital has come to a complete standstill.

The Central Government released 8,000 tonnes of rice and 11,900 tonnes of wheat for half year from April to September this year, but the Delhi government could not distribute even this, they alleged.

The reason is that more than 34,000 quintals of rice from Mayapuri, Okhla and Pusa godowns and 10,000 quintals of wheat from Mayapuri godown, sent for the month of November, were not lifted.

In a joint press conference, BJP leaders said that the central government provides ration to the consumers of Delhi under the National Food Security Act, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and 'One Nation One Card Scheme'.

The commission of ration vendors of Delhi has not been given since the last half year whereas they should have received the commission in advance and the central government has already given this amount to Delhi.

Along with providing ration, the central government also pays the cost of transportation and commission of ration vendors to deliver ration from godowns to ration vendors. The Delhi government only needs to lift the ration from the godowns and to deliver it to the ration vendors, but the Delhi government is unable to do it and the poor of Delhi are roaming around desperately for the ration.

BJP leaders said that last year the central government had decided that the commission of ration vendors should be paid in advance. It had paid Rs 24.89 crore as their commission in the last half year, but the Delhi government suppressed that amount as well and out of that only Rs 14.55 crore were released. In this way, the ration vendors are not even being given their commission properly.

Delhi BJP Spokesperson Subhendu Shekhar Awasthi was present on the occasion.