The Congress has pledged to offer 10 kilograms of free ration monthly to the impoverished regions of India if the Opposition’s coalition is elected to power, as stated by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Lucknow on Wednesday.
Four rounds of voting have been completed nationwide, with the INDIA bloc in a strong position. Kharge expressed confidence that the people are ready to bid farewell to Narendra Modi, with the INDIA bloc set to establish the new government on June 4, as he announced during a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
He also warned that the BJP would amend the Constitution if it regains power.
One of the many assurances made by the Congress in 2023 is the commitment to provide 10 kg of free rice to each member of a below poverty line (BPL) family if the party wins the election.
Currently, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government offers free foodgrains up to 5 kilograms. In November 2023, the Central government extended the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for an additional five years starting from January 1, 2024.
The government is expected to spend Rs 11.8 lakh crore over the next five years to supply 5 kilograms of free food grains, including rice, wheat, and millets, every month to approximately 800 million impoverished citizens of India.
Political analysts have highlighted this scheme as one of the most significant initiatives introduced by the current administration.
Congress Manifesto:
The Bharatiya Janata Party has strongly criticized some of the promises outlined in the Congress manifesto, particularly the provision of Rs 1 lakh to women from families below the poverty line. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently questioned whether the Congress party has taken into account the financial implications of these ambitious promises. She raised concerns about the potential need for increased borrowing or taxes to fund these schemes, and challenged Rahul Gandhi to clarify how these proposals would be implemented without negatively impacting the economy.