Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday lashed out at the BJP-led Union Government, accusing it of depriving lakhs of poor families by arbitrarily deleting ration cards in the state.
Mann alleged that the Centre’s move to scrap 8,02,493 ration cards in Punjab would directly impact nearly 32 lakh people, considering an average of four members per card. “BJP claims to be the provider of rations to 80 crore people, but here it is snatching food from the mouths of the poor,” he said.
The Chief Minister criticized the eligibility criteria for cancellations, terming them unrealistic. “Owning a four-wheeler, having an annual turnover of ₹25 lakh, or possessing more than 2.5 acres of land does not make entire families rich. How can the whole household be denied ration for one member’s progress?” Mann questioned.
He asserted that his government would not allow any beneficiary to suffer. “As long as I am the Chief Minister, no ration card in Punjab will be cut. The BJP has moved from being ‘vote thieves’ to becoming ‘ration thieves’. This is Punjab’s ration, and we will fight this injustice tooth and nail,” Mann declared.
The CM also revealed that the state had sought six months from the Centre to address discrepancies. “In Punjab, owning a scooter or a fan is normal. Denying ration on such grounds is absurd,” he said.
Raising concerns over data collection, Mann questioned why repeated surveys were being conducted despite Aadhaar being mandatory. “Who is accessing this personal data, and for what purpose?” he asked.
Pointing to his government’s welfare measures, Mann reaffirmed the commitment to provide ₹1,000 per month to women without demanding excessive details.
On the issue of floods, he assured compensation to affected families in districts like Kapurthala and promised permanent solutions for river management. Taking a dig at Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, Mann said, “He should step out of Batala and visit affected areas instead of commenting from abroad like Australia.”
