Chandigarh, February 23 Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced the launch of the 'Meri Rasoi' scheme on Monday, under which the Punjab government will provide free food kits to 40 lakh families registered under the National Food Security Act, starting in April.
This will be in addition to the wheat provided under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). According to Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, the new scheme will involve an outlay of Rs 950 crore.
Speaking to the media after chairing a cabinet meeting here, the chief minister said the initiative reflects the Punjab government's commitment to strengthening food and nutrition security for every household in Punjab.
"The hardworking and resilient farmers of Punjab have worked tirelessly to ensure that no one in the country goes to bed hungry. Our state has always been at the forefront of feeding the nation. However, there are still some families in Punjab who struggle to manage daily meals. With this in mind, the state government has launched this scheme," Mann said.
Under this scheme, the state government will provide food kits to 40 lakh families. Each kit will contain 2 kilograms of lentils, 2 kilograms of sugar, 1 kilogram of salt, 200 grams of turmeric powder, and 1 litre of mustard oil for monthly consumption.
The chief minister said these food kits will be provided in addition to the wheat already being distributed to eligible beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act.
"Markfed will be the nodal agency for providing these kits, and they will be supplied free of cost by the Food and Civil Supplies department," he said, adding that the government has put in place a robust mechanism to ensure smooth distribution.
"The people of Punjab have steered the country out of food crises in the past, and this initiative is part of the series of pro-people policies that our government has undertaken for public welfare. This guarantee was not written and was not part of our party's manifesto, but it is our moral responsibility towards the people of Punjab, and we are fulfilling it," the chief minister said.
"This initiative will ensure that every child in the state has access to nutritious food, thereby strengthening food and nutrition security across Punjab," he added.
Mann announced that the distribution of food kits will begin in April. He assured that quality will not be compromised under any circumstances. "The Punjab government will ensure strict quality checks on all items supplied. Any complaint regarding poor quality or irregular supply will be dealt with strictly," he said.
Responding to a question on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Punjab, Mann said, "We will cooperate with it, but we will not allow the registration of fake voters and the deletion of genuine cases."
The election commission had asked 22 states and Union Territories, including Punjab, to complete preparatory work related to the SIR at the earliest. According to the poll body, the exercise "is expected to start from April".