Punjab: AAP’s grain distribution service at doorsteps examined by the Center

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution is now investigating the much-discussed doorstep delivery of rations, which was introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party administration in February.

A Central team went to a ration depot in Ludhiana last week to inquire about the initiative. State government authorities in this state were not informed of the team’s presence.

Local Ludhiana authorities only notified the senior Markfed personnel about the queries they were receiving from beneficiaries and at a ration depot.

The Tribune has learned from official sources that the team asked questions about the operation of the doorstep ration delivery service and whether or not all recipients have Aadhaar cards, which are linked to their ration cards.

The Tribune has received confirmation on the team’s surprise inspection from high ranking state government officials, the Punjab State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation, and the Food Department. One of the authorities said, “We only learned about the inspection when it was in progress.”

Another official said that after receiving notice of the Central team’s arrival, they called a meeting to review the arrangements for the wheat procurement season.

The government has been shaken by this visit, and its personnel have already been targeted by the Directorate of Enforcement for guava orchard compensation fraud. The Center has been investigating the doorstep delivery of rations, as free foodgrain for distribution is supplied by the Center and the state government is alone in charge of its distribution.

The Chief Minister’s photo being used on the grain sacks had already drawn criticism from the Center. After that, the government began to provide a second carry-on bag containing the foodgrain bag and CM Bhagwant Mann’s image.

Despite having issued a tender for the doorstep delivery of rations to only 36 lakh beneficiaries (later raised to 40 lakh), according to official sources, there are claims that the state government attempted to apply the National Food Security Act to all 1.45 crore beneficiaries. Allegations have also been raised about the contract conditions being specifically tailored in the bidding for doorstep delivery to two individual-owned Delhi enterprises.

A senior state government official responded to this by claiming that the directors on the boards of the two corporations were not the same. Additionally, Kendriya Bhandar, a Central government organization, has been awarded the contract for the distribution in two zones. Only the recipients who have an affiliation with the eight hundred model fair pricing stores that Markfed has created would get rations at their doorstep, he said.