No gift packets for poor planned
Finance minister dismisses Ravela’s promise of sops
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-10-01 01:27 GMT
Hyderabad: AP social welfare minister Ravela Kishore Babu’s announcement on distributing gift packets to below poverty line families in view of the festival season may turn out to be an empty promise. AP finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu has clarified that there is no such proposal with the government.
A few days ago, Mr Kishore Babu had said that the government, in principle, has decided to give gifts to the BPL families. He had said that the modalities would be worked out and the issue would come up for discussion in the next Cabinet meeting, scheduled on October 1.
He had gone on to add that the government was contemplating distributing gift packets comprising dhotis and sarees to pensioners and a hamper of essential commodities required for the festivals.
He had said, the contents of the gift hamper would vary from festival to festival. Like, for Diwali, a box of fire crackers will also be distributed.
Notebooks and stationery for young school children will be given in future. Mr Kishore Babu had claimed that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu wanted to launch this scheme during Dasara.
However, when asked about the scheme, Mr Ramakrishnudu said he was not aware of any such plan. He said no such proposal had come to the finance department for his approval. He said he didn’t know how the social welfare minister announced this scheme.