Patna: Union minister for consumer affairs, food and civil supplies Ram Vilas Paswan on Thursday denied that the Narendra Modi government's new and expanded scheme for subsidised foodgrain to be given nationwide to students from the backward castes and sections was aimed at wooing Dalits.
The LJP chief claimed he had been working on the scheme from September last year and it had nothing to do with the coming elections.
Paswan had announced the revamped scheme in Patna on Thursday. Under the scheme, each student will be given 15kg subsidised foodgrain every month at hostels meant for Dalits, tribals, backward castes and minorities.
The scheme has even been extended to private hostels - with the rider that 2/3rd of its inmates must belong to these categories. "Around 1 crore underprivileged students across the country would benefit from the scheme," Paswan said. "We have no shortage of foodgrain and the scheme can be started immediately and states have been asked to specify the quantity of foodgrain they require for the scheme."
Subsidised foodgrain for SC/ST/OBC hostels was already being given in Andhra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tripura, Nagaland and Dadar and Nagar Haveli. The government now intends to implement it in all states. The scheme would require an estimated 13 83 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrain.
Paswan said he had responded to the request of chief minister Nitish Kumar. "But I have written a letter to all CMsand asked them to send us the list of hostels which are of Ambedkar, backward, minority category or private hotels with two-third inmates from these categories. The hostels have to be registered with state government agencies," Paswan said.
He clarified that it will be for the states to decide if they want rice or wheat or both.
The Narendra Modi government has been facing anger from Dalits, especially after the apex court's decision on the SC ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Though the Centre has vehemently denied it has any such plans, there are also fears that it is planning to do away with quota.
Paswan, once a bitter critic of Nitish, has patched up with the chief minister. Nitish announced on April 14 that Paswans will get the same facilities given to Mahadalits.
"I don't discriminate among the Scheduled Castes. Making Paswans Mahadalits or converting Mahadalits to Dalits is a non-issue," Paswan said. He said he had been batting for a long time for 15 per cent quota for upper castes.
