Rahul Gandhi ignored development of Amethi but built guest house for himself: Smriti Irani
Amethi (UP) (PTI): Union Minister Smriti Irani Friday alleged that former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi ignored the development of Amethi, a constituency he represented in the Lok Sabha for 15 years, but built a guest house for himself.
During an interaction with people in Munshiganj here, the villagers drew her attention to the drainage.
Irani, a Lok Sabha MP of the BJP from Amethi, said, "It has only been four-and-a-half years for me. Rahul Gandhi has been MP for 15 years but he did not pay any attention to this. He did not even think about development and only built his guest house in Munshiganj.
"His government was at the Center for 10 years but he did not even think about the development of Amethi. Here, work was being done only on paper. Rahul Gandhi could not even build a drain properly in Amethi," she said.
The Union minister said that under the BJP government, work has been done on the ground in Amethi and development works were being done at a rapid pace. Amethi is moving forward on the path of continuous development, she stressed.
During her visit to the constituency, Irani listened to the problems of the people through public dialogue programmes in Ramdevpur, Munshiganj, Sarai Khema, Loniapur, and Pithipur and directed the officials concerned to solve the issues.
Her plan to return to Delhi on Friday has been cancelled and she will continue to tour the constituency on December 30 also.
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Modi government's ambitious 'Bharat Rice' project stalled in just four months
Bengaluru: The central government's ambitious 'Bharat Rice' scheme, aimed at distributing quality food at affordable prices, has been temporarily suspended since July. Under this scheme, rice was sold at ₹29 per kg, wheat flour at ₹27.50 per kg, and pulses at ₹60 per kg.
The 'Bharat Rice' scheme, which began on February 2, 2024, in the wake of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, was designed to provide quality food to the common man at low prices. The scheme, overseen by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED), saw high demand from consumers. Supplies were maintained until June 10, after which deliveries ceased, leading to the current suspension. The Nafed website shows the rice to be out of stock.
Initially, the scheme involved distributing food items through mobile vans and select malls across various parts of the state. Consumers could purchase ten kilograms of rice or wheat flour, with pulses being available in some districts. However, not all promised deliveries were made.
For Below Poverty Line (BPL) cardholders, the state distributed five kilograms of rice per person for free, while Above Poverty Line (APL) cardholders received ten kilograms of rice at ₹15 per kg. However, many families without ration cards, including migrants and daily wage laborers, faced difficulties in accessing affordable food. The temporary halt in the scheme has added to their woes.
Vinaykumar, Head of NAFED Karnataka Division, informed that around 5,000 tonnes of Bharat rice, wheat flour, and pulses were sold through mobile vans and selected outlets like Reliance Mart and Jio Mart. Despite the high demand, supplies have run out, and no groceries have been delivered since July 1.
The primary reason for the suspension appears to be the depressed paddy production last year due to insufficient rainfall, making it challenging to sustain the scheme across the country. This, coupled with the financial burden on the government, led to the temporary halt.
The central government is now contemplating a new policy for the distribution of Bharat rice. Details of the new policy are awaited.
