Cong stages walkout over subsidy on sugar, kerosene oil

The Opposition Congress today blasted SAD-BJP government in Punjab assembly over providing subsidy to the poor families on sugar and kerosene oil in the state.
During the question hour, not satisfied by Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon's reply, the Congress legislators staged a noisy walkout from the assembly on providing sugar and kerosene oil at subsidised rates to the poor families in the state.
Led by CLP leader Sunil Kumar Jakhar, the Congress flock went into the well of the House and raised anti-government slogans before trooping out from the assembly.
Congress got into aggressive mode after Jakhar sought to know from the government whether the centre is providing sugar and kerosene oil at subsidised rates to the poor of the state.

Jakhar pointed out that around 4.86 lakh poor families are not getting subsidised sugar despite entitlement and around ten lakh poor are devoid of subsidy on kerosene.
Jakhar sought a committee be set up to probe the matter which was however declined by speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal.

To put the issue straight, Kairon told the assembly that the Punjab government had written to the centre following which the union government had amended the policy giving powers to state after which the government is prepared to distribute sugar at subsidised rates on "regular basis."
Before the walkout by Congress MLAs, Kairon pleaded that the government is willing to explain everything on the issue, but the opposition is not prepared to listen to it.

Kairon told the assembly that the government had asked the centre to allocate "reasonable quota" of sugar so that it can be distributed at subsidised rates to poor.
"We were issued a quota of 7,000 tonnes of sugar by centre as per which we can distribute only 100 grams of sugar to each family and its a mockery...We approached the centre with a fresh proposal...Now we are in a position to give sugar at subsidised rates to poor," he said adding that the number of poor families in the state had rose from 4.5 lakh to 33 lakh recently.
Over the issue of kerosene, Kairon said that kerosene is given only to those who do not have LPG connection.

"To get subsidy on kerosene one will have to surrender his LPG connection...We have given subsidy to 53 lakh families," he said with entire opposition not being present in the House.
"Subsidy is meant for poor...All MLAs must give an undertaking not to avail subsidy as a gesture...Some 6.5 lakh families are not getting subsidy on kerosene as their bank accounts are not linked with Aadhar," he said.