Journalism of Courage
Three days after the Food Security Ordinance was brought into force,Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday said the Delhi government would be the first to launch the scheme in the country.
During a meeting with Union Food Minister K V Thomas,Dikshit conveyed that her government would launch the scheme in Delhi on August 20.
Dikshit and Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Haroon Yusuf called on Thomas on Monday. The Chief Minister expressed to the Union Food Minister in a letter the Delhi governments intent to launch the scheme first in India, Yusuf said.
Yusuf said the Delhi government had already completed the groundwork to implement the food security scheme,which envisages 5 kg of food grains every month at highly subsidised rates to eligible families.
The scheme is set to launch in Delhi on August 20,to coincide with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhis birth anniversary.
We have already formed a committee that includes Delhi MPs Sandeep Dikshit and Mahabal Mishra,four MLAs,principal secretaries of finance,food and civil supplies and social welfare, Yusuf said.
He said he would chair the committee,which would hold its first meeting on Tuesday.
Last year,the Delhi government had launched the Annashri Yojna,a state-sponsored food security programme,under which economically weaker sections of society can avail a monthlys cash subsidy of Rs 600,transferred directly into the Aadhaar-linked bank account of the senior-most female member of the family.
