Raipur, November 30, 2012
Lashing
out at BJP government for opposing Centre’s cash subsidy transfer scheme (CSTS),
Congress on Friday said the ruling party’s anti-poor face had been exposed.
“We hail the Centre’s new scheme which will directly
benefit the poor. The BJP government’s objection proves that it is not
well-wisher of the poor,” said state Congress president Nandkumar Patel and CLP
leader Ravindra Choubey.
“The Centre gives massive amount to the state
government in terms of subsidy under its various schemes. Now, with the launch
of CSTS, the subsidised amount will be directly transferred into the bank
account of beneficiary. The BJP government was by far claiming the central
schemes as its own but now it is scared of being exposed with implementation of
CSTS,” they said.
They said the Centre’s pro-poor decision would check irregularities
in public distribution scheme (PDS). “The state government should have
prevented misuse of ration under PDS but it never took firm step in this
direction,” they added.
They challenged chief minister Raman Singh to rope in
an independent agency to conduct audit of state’s PDS to bring forth hidden
facts before public. “The government always boasts about effective
implementation of its PDS but the launch of CSTS will unleash the grafts
prevailing in this system,” they said.
Pointing that mega subsidy funds were distributed to
fake ration cardholders in last couple of years they said even the government
had admitted of canceling lakhs of fake BPL cards in previous fiscal.
“There are 2564429 BPL cardholders, 699599 cardholders
under Antyodaya scheme and 2071725 ALP cardholders. To benefit these
cardholders, subsidy amount provided by Centre to the state government was Rs
842.830 crore in 2008-09, Rs 1007.510 crore in 2009-10, Rs 1923.480 crore in
2010-11 and Rs 1199.510 crore in 2011-12 (till September 24, 2012). What
happened to these subsidised funds? Certainly, grafts in distribution of rice,
wheat, kerosene, etc is equally massive,” they said.
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