Cong goes all-out to tom-tom food security scheme

Some states to launch scheme on Aug 20

After a brainstorming session with chief ministers of Congress-ruled states on the food security scheme, the party is drawing up plans to publicise the initiative in opposition-ruled states as part of its nation-wide campaign.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has convened a meeting of presidents of state units, legislature party chiefs from opposition-ruled states, All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretaries and heads of party’s frontal organisations to discuss plans to popularise the scheme.

The meeting, part of the Congress blitzkrieg which is being seen as an election trump card, will also be attended by Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Food Minister K V Thomas.

Over the weekend, after a strategy meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, chief ministers of some Congress-ruled states had announced launching of the scheme on August 20.

The Congress has launched a massive campaign with spokespersons fanning across states to inform and educate state leaders about the initiative which seeks to provide cheap food grains to 82 crore people.

Rahul has also convened a two-day meeting of 150 Congress spokespersons from across the country from Monday to train them in conveying effectively the party view on the scheme.

While Thomas will brief the meeting on the intricacies of the scheme, Ramesh is expected to stress on effective communication of the initiative.

Ramesh is known to be a wordsmith who is credited with coining “Aam aadmi” slogans for the Congress in 2004 and the most recent “Aapka paisa aapke haath” for the government’s direct benefit transfer scheme.

The workshop will also be attended by 36 national spokespersons and media panelists of the AICC, besides having representations from NSUI and the Youth Congress.

Meanwhile, some states have rushed to the Centre with demands for higher allocation of food grains. Kerala Food Minister Anoop Jacob met Thomas on Tuesday with demand for higher allocation of food grains. Jacob told Deccan Herald that the scheme covered only 42 per cent of the population in Kerala, which already has 100 per cent public distribution system coverage.

“We have an allocation of 17 lakh tonnes of food grains per year as of now. This would be reduced to seven lakh tonnes as per the new law,” he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also approached Thomas with a demand for higher allocation of food grains. Haryana has also sought additional allocation of 70,000 tonne of wheat per month to implement the scheme. Thomas may have agreed to higher allocations but made it clear that the price at which the Centre would sell these food grains will be decided by the Cabinet. Thomas also said that the beneficiaries of the scheme would be identified using the updated poverty figures expected to be released by the National Sample Survey Office in the next 10 days.