Accusing the Aam Aadmi Party government of being responsible for an alleged “ration scam”, Bharatiya Janata Party chief Manoj Tiwari on Thursday claimed that a ₹3,000-crore scam in the public distribution system was allowed to perpetuate over the last three years.
During this, the poor were running from pillar to post for ration cards.
This, Mr. Tiwari alleged at a press conference at the party’s State headquarters, even as the “Capital of the country had to face embarrassment” due to the starvation deaths of three children in Pandav Nagar last month.
“The Arvind Kejriwal government is completely corrupt as proved by its double standards and protection to the [ration] mafia by it,” Mr. Tiwari alleged.
Expose CM’s govt
He also said that if AAP did not implement the ePoS system for the ration distribution, the State BJP would initiate a public awareness campaign in the city to “expose the connivance between Mr. Kejriwal’s government and the ration mafia.”
Mr. Tiwari said that concern expressed by the Supreme Court over protecting the interest of the poor, the Central Consumer Affairs and Food Supply Department had led to the implementation of the ePoS system for the distribution of ration in cooperation with all the State governments from the beginning of 2018.
Under this programme,Mr. Tiwari said: “The Kejriwal government in March 2018, claimed verifying 2,054 ration shops and 98% consumers by connecting them to ePoS. But the same government, on April 25, cancelled the ePoS system in Delhi which is clear proof that it is perhaps protecting the ration mafia.”
The government’s plea to the effect that not all citizens had Aadhaar Cards was “not sound” because the Centre had clearly stated identity proof such as voter cards, kisan passbook, driving licenses too may be used for the verification of beneficiaries.
“In April, 2018, there were 17.5 lakh ration cards in Delhi and more than 2.5 lakh ration cards have been cancelled after verification...there is a scam of about hundreds of crores on an average every month in Delhi which may be of more than of 3,000 crores in the past three years,” he alleged.