Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has accused the central government of conspiring to withdraw free ration benefits from nearly 55 lakh residents of Punjab, calling it an “attack on the plates of the poor, farmers, and working-class families.”
In an open letter addressed to the people of Punjab, the Chief Minister claimed that out of the 1.53 crore beneficiaries in the state, the Centre has already halted supplies for 23 lakh individuals since July, citing non-completion of eKYC. He further alleged that ration entitlements for another 32 lakh residents are set to be discontinued from September because they are “not poor.”
“Punjab grows food grains that feed the entire nation, yet the Centre is attempting to deprive the very people who produce this food,” Mann wrote, questioning the fairness of the decision. He also criticized the criteria being used, pointing out that families are being disqualified if a member owns a car, holds a job, pays income tax, or possesses more than 2.5 acres of land.
The Chief Minister alleged that the decision was taken without consulting the state government or verifying the actual economic condition of the affected families. “This order makes it clear that the Centre is determined to punish Punjab on one pretext or another,” he said.
Mann assured the people that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab would not allow ration cards to be arbitrarily canceled. He stated that the state has already verified 1.29 crore beneficiaries, and the verification of the remaining families will be completed within six months.
Reiterating his commitment, the CM said, “No family’s kitchen will go cold, no child will sleep hungry. Punjab will stand united if anyone attempts to snatch away its rights.”
The state government has sought time from the Centre to present its case and has announced that teams will carry out door-to-door verification of families to ensure no eligible person is left out.
Meanwhile, political observers see Mann’s letter as a direct escalation of the confrontation between the AAP-led Punjab government and the BJP-led Centre, with the issue of welfare schemes now at the heart of the dispute.
