Mamata Banerjee says quality of rice distributed by Bengal govt better than Centre’s, extends scheme till June 2021

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of distributing free foodgrains to 80 crore poor people across India, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that the Bengal government will distribute foodgrains to the needy in the state till June next year.

“The Central government distributes foodgrains through the Food Corporation of India, while we directly source it from the farmers. The quality of foodgrains that we distribute is much better,” Banerjee said on Tuesday at a press conference in the state administrative headquarters, Nabanna.

She alleged that the Centre’s  scheme reaches 6.01 crore people in Bengal, and leaves out 40 per cent of the people. “It should reach all. Why this discrimination?” she asked.

Banerjee indicated that she is principally against the concept of one nation one card, something that PM Modi mentioned in his address on Tuesday. He spoke of the concept of a ration card that is applicable across the country, so that migrant labourers can use it to get free ration from anywhere. The Bengal CM said that she was not aware of how the government wants to implement it. “First there were these white paper ration cards, next they came in various colours, now there are digital ration cards. These things are changing very quickly”, she said. Banerjee mocked the concept saying, “We are hearing of various concepts – one nation, one card, one leader… let’s see.”