85 lakh people to be removed from food security scheme in Raj

85 lakh ineligible people were added as beneficiary under food security scheme and will be removed from the list as soon as possible, Rajasthan government said here today.
Minister of State for Food and Civil Supply Hem Singh Bhadana in reply to a supplementary question during the question hour said that the former government launched the scheme on October 2 last year in a hurry to take advantage in elections and a total of 531 lakh people (as beneficiary) were added against the targeted 446 lakh.
He informed the House that the government has formed a four member committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Sampatram which will look into the issue and will ensure that only targeted beneficiaries are included in the scheme.

Ruling party MLA Prahlad Gunjal alleged that large number of lower level Congress workers living in slums were included in the list of beneficiaries in Kota and action against the officers should be taken in this.
Congress MLA Pradhyumn Singh said that nothing was wrong if eligible workers of any political party were covered in any scheme and demanded from the minister to set a time frame to exclude the members which were included wrongly.
The minister said that the work would be completed as soon as possible.
In reply to another question, the minister said that hoarding was not the only reason for inflation which was rising due to reasons like black marketing, difference in retail and wholesale rates, less rainfall and others.

He said that the government has appointed a committee to study unusual rise in prices and control inflation. On the recommendation of the committee, the government may declare a stock limit for potato, onion and pulses.