Bapat non-committal on food subsidy to APL card holders

State minister for food and civil supplies Girish Bapat today appeared non-committal about giving food subsidy to 1.75 crore APL card holders who have been left out of Food Security Act since November last year.
A discussion on the issue was held in the Legislative Council, where NCP members raised slogans against the BJP-Shiv Sena Government over APL card holders not getting food subsidy and tried to disrupt proceedings.
Leader of Opposition Dhanajay Munde brought up the issue for discussion and asked the Government if 1.75 crore APL card holders would be getting the food subsidy.
However, Bapat maintained that these people have not been accommodated by the Centre under the food security law.

"The 1.75 crore APL card holders were excluded from the Food Security Act. Why the previous Government (led by Congress) did not include people earning an annual income of Rs 44,000 in rural and Rs 59,000 urban areas under the Food Security Act?," Bapat asked.
However, Munde pointed out that the Congress-NCP Government took the responsibility of these excluded people and earmarked Rs 120 crore every month for food subsidy. "But your Government has now stopped the subsidy."

Bapat said "We are asking the Centre to increase income limit so that left out APL card holders also get the benefit of Food Security Act. The State Cabinet will take a decision at the earliest on absorbing subsidy burden."

Unsatisfied with Bapat's reply, NCP members asked the Minister to give a firm reply on restoring the subsidy.
However, Bapat remained non-committal and blamed the previous Government for announcing schemes without taking into account funds available in the state kitty.
"You announced schemes worth Rs 52,000 crore before the Assembly polls which you knew were not going to be implemented," the Minister said.