Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has alleged that the Union government is planning to remove nearly 55 lakh residents of Punjab from the free ration scheme, terming the move a deliberate attempt to “snatch food from the poor.”
In a letter to the people of the state, Mann said the Centre has already cut off supplies for 23 lakh individuals since July, citing incomplete eKYC. He added that ration for another 32 lakh people is expected to be stopped from September under the claim that these families no longer fall under the “poor” category.
Mann questioned the parameters being used for exclusion, saying that if one member of a family owns a vehicle, has a job, pays income tax, or holds more than 2.5 acres of land, it does not make the entire family prosperous. He argued that such blanket disqualifications show the Centre’s lack of understanding of Punjab’s ground realities.
Calling the move an “injustice to those who feed the nation,” the CM said the decision was taken without proper consultation or verification, and alleged that it was politically motivated. “The BJP government in Delhi seems determined to punish Punjab on one pretext or another,” he said.
Reassuring residents, Mann promised that the state government would safeguard the rights of beneficiaries. He stated that verification for 1.29 crore ration card holders has already been completed and that the rest will be covered within six months. “As long as I am Chief Minister, no family in Punjab will go to bed hungry,” he declared.
The Punjab government has requested time from the Centre to present its case and plans to send teams door-to-door for verification. Mann also urged citizens to resist “any attempt to deprive them of their rightful share.”
