Chandigarh, March 28 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced a scheme to deliver ration at the doorsteps of the people across the state.
Making an announcement in a video message, he said the Aam Aadmi Party government's scheme is aimed at providing good quality ration 'atta' (wheat flour) and 'daal' (pulses) to the people packed in clean gunny bags.
"You need not to stand in long queues or miss your daily-wage anymore for getting ration and now our officials would check your availability before delivering the ration at your doorsteps," he said.
Mann said under this scheme, an option would also be given to those beneficiaries who want to get ration supply from the nearby depots as per their convenience.
He said the people have to still stand in long queues for fetching ration even after 75 years of Independence, whereas now in a digital era, people can get anything delivered online within no time at their place.
This people-friendly initiative would ensure the best quality ration at their doorsteps as "earlier our mothers had to go even two km for getting ration that too of substandard quality not fit for human consumption".
"Our government has made an endeavour to provide healthy and hygienic ration at your doorsteps."
Mann said this scheme was earlier introduced in Delhi by the Arvind Kejriwal government but somehow was stalled by the Centre as it intended to make people stand in long queues for ration.
A day earlier, Sonia Gandhi asked party chiefs Sidhu in Punjab, Ganesh Godiyal in Uttarakhand, Ajay Kumar Lallu in Uttar Pradesh, Girish Chodankar in Goa and Nameirakpam Loken Singh in Manipur to resign. Sidhu, once a Chief Minister aspirant, faced defeat from his stronghold Amritsar (East) seat.
Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing the family members, submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana that on March 10, a protected witness in the case had been attacked and the state government did not file an appeal challenging the bail granted to Misra in the case.
The SAD also announced the expulsion of Kalka from the primary membership of the party, besides dissolving the party's Delhi unit. It also announced the formation of a five-member ad hoc committee headed by veteran leader Avtar Singh Hit, and comprising Harinder Singh Kaypee, Bhupinder Singh Anand, Gurdev Singh Bhola, and Ravinder Singh Khurana.
In December last year, the Supreme Court had said it expects a fair investigation and investigating agencies should be neutral, as it asked Delhi Police to conclude the probe, by December 15, in a case against Singh.
Amid a call for leadership change in the party, Congress General Secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has called a meeting of party leaders on Tuesday to find out the reasons for the defeat. The Congress could only get just over 2 per cent votes and two seats in the Uttar Pradesh polls.
The plea argued that the high court granted bail without considering the heinous nature of the crime and also in the backdrop of overwhelming evidence against the accused in the charge sheet. The plea further argued that there is likelihood of the accused tampering with the witnesses and causing obstruction in justice.
