Delhi: Kejriwal seeks Modi's approval for doorstep ration delivery
What's the story
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow the doorstep delivery of ration in the national capital. Kejriwal blamed the "ration mafia" that he said had managed to influence the central government to scrap the implementation of the scheme. "If pizzas, burgers, clothes, smartphones can be home-delivered, why not ration?" the CM asked. Here are more details.
Details
'2 days before implementation, Centre halted scheme'
Addressing a video conference, Kejriwal said, "Just two days before the implementation of the doorstep delivery of ration scheme in Delhi, the central government stopped it." On Saturday, the Delhi government said the scheme was rejected by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. The L-G argued that the Centre's approval had not been sought and a plea was pending in the High Court, the government said.
Arguments
'Didn't need Centre's approval; sought it 5 times anyway'
However, the CM disputed the Centre's claim that his government had not sought the Centre's approval. He said that the Delhi government did not require the Centre's nod to implement the scheme, which he described as "pro-poor people and revolutionary." In spite of that, the city government sought approval from the Centre five times, the CM added.
Arguments
Let me implement scheme, you take credit: Kejriwal to Modi
Kejriwal said that the central government has been busy fighting everyone, including the governments/people in Delhi, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. He asked, "If we fight like this, how will we tackle COVID-19?" The CM asked PM Modi to let him implement the scheme, adding, "I will give you full credit." The scheme would benefit 72 lakh poor individuals in Delhi, he said.
Background
Delhi government promised doorstep ration delivery last year
The proposal to allow the doorstep delivery of ration in Delhi was cleared by the Kejriwal government last July. It was among the major poll promises made by Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during the February 2020 Assembly elections. Initially, the city government had planned to launch the scheme in March, when COVID-19 hit and the country went under a months-long lockdown.