Days ahead of the Diwali festivity, which will be celebrated for five days in October this year, the Maharashtra government has announced a package for ration card holders, wherein they will receive some food items for just ₹100 in all fair price shops and this offer is valid for 30 days.
This is the latest in a string of populist measures the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis duo has announced in their three months in power.
The Diwali package scheme will benefit 1.5 crores ration card holders of the state. In this regards, a government resolution has been issued and allocated INR 513 crores.
They can buy a packet of one-litre oil and one kg each of sooji (semolina), chana dal, and sugar.
However, this has attracted a lot of criticism from the Opposition parties. Several leaders have said the decisions were taken keeping the elections in mind.
Taking a jab at the scheme, state Congress President Nana Patole said the government should instead transfer INR 3,000 each into the accounts of all ration card holders.
Meanwhile, Leader of opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve of Shiv Sena asked the CM Eknath Shinde to scrap the scheme. In a letter to Shinde, Danve pointed out that the tender was issued on October 1, finalized on October 3 and approved by the cabinet on October 4. He claimed that the entire tender process was completed in record time and it was ensured that a pre-selected organization benefited. There is lack of transparency; it appears that the tender was floated keeping in mind an organization.
Apart from this, the government recently announced a bonus to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) employees, a special package of INR 750 crores to farmers, and on Tuesday declared to provide a 500 sq.ft home at INR 15 lakhs to police personnel in redeveloped BDD chawls.
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