BJP seeks white paper on public distribution system

Slamming the Congress government for ‘systemic plunder’ of foodgrains meant for the poor, the BJP on Wednesday demanded a white paper over the functioning of public distribution system in the city over the last 15 years. 

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party president Vijay Goel alleged that lakhs of bogus ration cards have been issued by the Food and Civil Supplies Department, which is being used for leakage of subsidised food. 

Goel demanded that Food and Civil Supplies Minister be sacked and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit resigns. 

“The Congress government is duping the poor through multi-crore PDS scam. Fake ration cards have been made in lakhs and a nexus between Food and Civil Supplies Department and black marketeers is in the play,” said Goel.

“Foodgrains which are meant for the poor are being diverted to private flour mills. Mere suspension of half a dozen junior officials won’t do. Those at the top must take responsibility and explain how this was happening under their noses,” he said.

“The PDS scam has several components like selling off foodgrains in the open market, routing substandard foodgrains to the ration shops and ration card scam,” he added. 

The BJP leader alleged that to engineer the systemic loot in PDS, the Congress government effected the fake ration card scam, as a part of which lakhs of ration cards were issued in the name of non-existing individuals even as genuine households are not able to get ration cards. The number of people listed on the ration cards even exceeded the population estimate of Census-2011 for Delhi, he said.

“Even the 2011 Economic Survey of Delhi said the city has 33.4 lakh households and 32.26 lakh ration cards,” he said. 

“It had been found in 2008 itself that more than 1.7 lakh bogus ration cards were issued in Delhi. In the past five years, the Delhi government has only helped the scam grow fatter,” he added.