Food Security scheme is politically motivated: Badal

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today dubbed as 'politically motivated' the Centre's Food Security scheme and claimed that the UPA had copied the 'Atta-Dal' scheme of the SAD-BJP government.

Describing the scheme as 'totally absurd', Badal said, fate of the proposed bill to replace the ordinance seemed to be uncertain.

He was talking to reporters here after administering oath to the newly elected Sarpanches and Panches of the Jalandhar district.

'Contrary to food security scheme, the Atta-Dal scheme of the SAD-BJP government, which has been now copied by UPA, was running very successfully and with its expansion more and more number of people would be benefited,' Badal said adding Punjab was the first state to implement this pro-poor scheme.

Replying to a query, he said the state government was with the Punjabi farmers of Gujarat, who were facing threat of displacement in Kutch region, adding that efforts were being made to get their problems solved from the Gujarat government.

Badal reiterated that the state government was committed for safeguarding the interests of the Punjabi farmers who have played a key role in socio-economic development of Gujarat.

Earlier, addressing a gathering at the function, the Chief Minister said that the hard working and resilient farmers of the state were on the crossroads due to the alleged wrong policies of the Union Government.

Badal said farmers of Punjab were reeling under a huge debt of Rs 32,000 crore due to the 'wrong policies' of the Centre.

The Punjab government has embarked a major programme of crop diversification in the state to help farmers, he said.

'However, all these efforts of state government can only be successful if the Union government provides Minimum Support Price along with proper purchase mechanism to alternate crops like Maize and Basmati,' Badal said.