Chhattisgarh: Modi announces extension of free ration scheme by another 5 years

Raipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that the Centre’s free ration scheme for the underprivileged will be extended for another five years.

Mr Modi made the significant announcement at his election rallies in the poll-bound states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

Mr Modi said that he had launched the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana three years ago during the Covid pandemic period to provide free rations to the poor to ensure that no one starves during the crisis.

The tenure of the scheme ends in December, the Prime Minister said, adding, "But I have decided to extend the scheme for another five years. It is not an election promise, but a Modi guarantee that the kitchen fires of 80-crore people should keep burning for the next five years."

Addressing an election meeting in Durg in Chhattisgarh, Mr Modi attacked the Bhupesh Baghel government over the alleged exposure of the transfer of money to some "political executives" in Chhattisgarh by the online betting platform "Mahadev app" through the hawala route. He said: "The Congress government in Chhattisgarh is leaving no opportunity to loot the people in the state. It even did not spare (the name of) Mahadev (Lord Shiva)."

Referring to the Enforcement Directorate raids in the poll-bound Chhattisgarh, Mr Modi said that two days back, a big operation took place in Raipur during which a huge cache of currency notes were seized.

There were talks that the money belonged to "sattebaj" (those involved in betting), collected by looting the people of Chhattisgarh, he said while referring to the operators of Mahadev app.

The Congress and chief minister Bhupesh Baghel should explain what links they have with the people running the online betting platform from Dubai, he added, alleging, “The Congress leaders are filling their houses with the money looted from the people.”

Mr Modi wondered why the seizure of the money had unsettled Mr Baghel.

Claiming that the Congress leaders abused him day and night, he said, “Modi is not scared of abuses. People have sent Modi to Delhi to deal with the corrupt.”

He declared that the corrupt who looted the people of Chhattisgarh will be brought to book after the BJP forms government in the state in the ensuing Assembly elections and every penny of the looted money will be recovered from them.

In an indirect dig at former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Mr Modi said that a Congress leader did not hesitate to belittle the entire OBC community while abusing him.

Mr Modi exhorted the people to vote for the BJP in the ensuing Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh and said that his party had prepared a roadmap to make the state one of the 10 most developed states in the country in the coming 10 years.

The Prime Minister lashed out at Mr Baghel for claiming that the state government had been paying to procure paddy from the farmers, saying that the Centre had been buying paddy produced by the farmers of Chhattisgarh.

He said that the Centre had implemented several welfare programmes for the uplift of the poor and weaker sections of society in the country.

Later on Saturday, addressing an election meeting in Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Modi attacked the dynastic politics in Congress in MP, saying that two veteran leaders of the grand old party were taking part in the "cloth-tearing competition", not to occupy the post of chief minister but to promote the political careers of their sons.

He was referring to senior Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh.

“The tussle between them was over whose son will hijack the Congress in Madhya Pradesh,” he said.

Mr Modi said that the Congress had no roadmap for development of Madhya Pradesh and the party only made false promises to misguide the people.

The Prime Minister exuded confidence that the BJP will return to power in Madhya Pradesh in the ensuing Assembly polls with a two-thirds majority.

“The discussions being held in public now are not about who will win the elections in Madhya Pradesh, but whether the BJP is forming the government with a two-thirds majority,” he said.