5 lakh more families likely to be added under Atta-Dal Scheme

Punjab government's fresh drive of extending subsidised food to poor families under its populist scheme is expected to add 5 lakh new families.
Amid the opposition Congress' charge of poor not getting benefit under Atta-Dal scheme, the state government ordered to carry out fresh survey of beneficiaries aimed at including all eligible families within the scheme's ambit.
"Five lakh more poor families may be brought under Atta-Dal scheme during the fresh survey," official sources said here.
Currently, the state government is providing wheat and pulses to almost 15.40 lakh poor families under which they are getting 35 kg of wheat and 4 kg of pulses at subsidised rates and the government has spent over Rs 1,200 crore so far on this scheme.

"Directions will be issued to Deputy Commissioners to launch a fresh survey to include all eligible families under Atta-Dal scheme," an official of the Punjab Food and Civil Supplies department said here.
The ruling SAD has already described the Centre's Food Security Ordinance as a "carbon copy" of its Atta-Dal scheme.
Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia had said the UPA government's Ordinance on Food Security was to tempt common people on the eve of general elections.
Punjab government had asked the Centre to provide funds to the tune of Rs 200 crore every year to raise the production level of food grain in the state, required to implement the Food Security Ordinance.