By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi government’s scheme replacing the Public Distribution System with cash transfers is a “total fraud” as the poor will not benefit from receiving a fixed sum when prices of essential items are rising, NGO Rozi Roti Adhikar said Tuesday.
The NGO kicked off a 20-day yatra across the capital to galvanise opinion against the government’s decision.
According to a statement, the yatra will move through various parts of Delhi, and meetings will be held to seek people’s opinions on the issue.
One of the organisers, Deepti Sinha said: “We want to let the public know that the Delhi government’s scheme of cash transfer in lieu of ration subsidy is a total fraud. We demand that instead of luring people with cash, government should strengthen PDS scheme and make it available to common people at subsidised rates.”
Expressing her concern, Pushpa Lata, a slum dweller in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area, said: “We don’t want cash because today the government may give us Rs.1,000 but what will we do a few months down the line when the food prices rise?”
She wondered whether the government will keep increasing the cash amount to meet the rising food prices.
Another slum dweller, Sunita said: “We all know that such leakages and malpractices are also there in the public healthcare system, so will the government decide to shut down government hospitals next and give us a fixed amount of money for our medical needs too?”