As polls near, Cong, BJP serve subsidised rice

In the run up to Assembly elections, Chhattisgarh politicians seem to be banking on rice.

In the run up to Assembly elections, Chhattisgarh politicians seem to be banking on rice. With less than a year to go for polls, the Raman Singh Government has cleared a proposal to distribute rice at Rs 3 per kg to people living below the poverty line. The proposal was launched by the Chief Minister with much fanfare on his Government’s fourth anniversary. Not wanting to be seen left behind in populism, state Congress chief Charan Das Mahant announced, “If I am made the Chief Minister, I would distribute rice at Rs 2 per kg to people below poverty level.”

Refuting allegations that the move was aimed at garnering votes in an election year, the CM said from January 2008, the Government food scheme will provide rice to 34 lakh families at Rs 3 per kg. “This is targeted at poverty-hit hamlets where 80 per cent of the state’s population resides. It is one of the best schemes ever launched by any state. The BJP is committed to the poor and downtrodden,” Singh added. He was, however, unable to explain why the proposal came only at the fag end of his tenure. The move will end up costing the exchequer Rs 800 crore a year.

Party sources said the scheme has been launched by the BJP in a state of panic as the Government was worried that the collapsed PDS would end up hurting the party in next year’s Assembly polls. “The need of the hour is to implement the scheme properly as the people involved in siphoning off the PDS ration are themselves close to senior BJP leaders,” party sources accede. The Government has been facing criticism from several quarters for being unable to introduce an effective PDS in the impoverished regions of Bastar and Sarguja, where people hardly get any food or kerosene from the PDS.

Around 42 per cent of the state’s 20.8 million population lives below poverty line and is dependent on the PDS for its share of food and kerosene oil.

Interestingly, the statement of Chhattisgarh Congress President comes even before the party has finalised its approach and strategy for the Assembly polls. The PCC chief’s stand may fuel another round of bickering within the Congress as Mahant’s statement is being seen as an attempt to project himself as the party’s chief ministerial candidate. A section of the leaders feel that the PCC chief should have consulted senior party leaders before making such an announcement.