BJP calls it election stunt

Kerosene-free already as shops out of stock: Gupta

 BJP state president Vijender Gupta on Tuesday said the ‘kerosene-free Delhi programme’ of the state government is only an election stunt. He said the Capital is already kerosene-free since the poor are not getting it anyway for the last several years.

“Delhi is already a kerosene-free city. Every time the poor go to ration shops, the dealer tells them that there is no oil,” Gupta said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party doubted if the poor could afford a refill of the gas cylinder they get just once under the scheme.

‘Won’t help poor’

“The scheme launched by chief minister Sheila Dikshit is only an election stunt; it will not help the poor since they cannot afford Rs 400 LPG cylinders, which are often sold in the black market,” he said.

“Kerosene is the cheapest form of fuel and the government should have done something to make it available to the poor.”

He asked Dikshit and food supply and consumer affairs minister Haroon Yusuf to tell people about the amount of kerosene sold in the black market.

Figures incorrect
He sought details of action taken by the government in the last 14 years against black marketeers.

Gupta said the figure of 3.56 lakh poor people is incorrect as several more people come under the economically weaker section category.

“Data till 2007 is available on the website of the food department. But if one looked at data till 2000, the total number of BPL families in Delhi is 4,66,050. Similarly, the number of AAY and JRC cardholders is also large,” Gupta said.

“Apart from this, over 10 lakh poor families live in the Capital, who have no identity proof or cards,” said Gupta.

He said more and more people are falling below the poverty line every year due to anti-people policies of the government.