Delhi Congress to popularise food scheme

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Wednesday called a meeting of Congress legislators and councillors to "popularise" the UPA's food security scheme among the people in the election year.

"The purpose of this meeting was to brief all Congress legislators about the implementation of the scheme," Food and Supplies Minister Haroon Yusuf told IANS.

The Delhi government is set to roll out the scheme Aug 20. The benefits of the scheme will only be availed from Sep 1.

The beneficiaries will get wheat at Rs.2 per kg, rice at Rs.3 per kg and coarse grain at Re.1 per kg.

Yusuf said that the legislators "were also told to convey to people that food security is the flagship scheme of the UPA".

Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party legislators would invited at the launch of the scheme.

"They will be invited on the formal launch of the scheme on Aug 20," he said.

The Congress-led government will bank on the central government sponsored scheme for success in the assembly elections due later this year. The programme has also been dubbed as a "game changer" for UPA II.

Below poverty line families, above poverty line card holders and Jhughi Ration Card holders and beneficiaries under Antodaya Anna Yojna will be included in the scheme in the first phase.

More families would be included in the second phase that revolves around the senior-most woman in a household.

Homeless people, daily wage earners, rag pickers, people living in resettlement colonies and slum clusters will be eligible for the benefit under the scheme.