BJP wants free rice scheme implemented on basis of income

: BJP, an alliance partner of the ruling AINRC, today demanded that Chief Minister N Rangasamy ensure that the free rice scheme for all sections of people be restricted to cover the poor and have-nots by adopting the income basis.
General Secretary of Puducherry state unit of BJP R V Swaminathan said in a release here that 10 kg free rice is now available to all card holders, irrespective of their income. This should be modified so that those coming under the Income Tax assessment could be kept out of the scheme and government could also save heavy expenditure
This amount could be used to provide subsidised power supply to small and micro industries as entrepreneurs now face heavy power bill burden.

Consequently, industrialists were shifting their units to neighbouring states and a large number of workers were also facing unemployment.