The Hindu : New Delhi News : PDS rations only for poor from April, says Sheila

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PDS rations only for poor from April, says Sheila

Staff Reporter

‘23 kg of rice and 22 litres of kerosene besides pulses, wheat’

NEW DELHI: Come April 1 and only the poor of Delhi or those families drawing below Rs 1 lakh per annum will be entitled to rations from the Public Distribution System, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said on Sunday while addressing a public meeting organised by Delhi NCP president and Badarpur MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri at Ali Vihar in South Delhi.

Ms Dikshit said the families eligible for the PDS rations would get 23 kg of rice and 22 litres of kerosene besides subsidised pulses and wheat. Inaugurating works aggregating Rs 11 crores during her visit to the Assembly segment, the Chief Minister said her Government has tried to improve the water and power availability in Delhi, that has the highest per capita income in the country. Moreover, she said, all the facilities are being provided in the unauthorised colonies too that were earlier left out of the ambit of development.

Making a mention of the Ladli Scheme for the girl child, she also urged the women to remain aware about their rights.

Delhi Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan said the Delhi Government has worked hard for the welfare of the unauthorised colonies. “While 1,409 applications for regularisation have been forwarded to Union Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy for approval, development works have also been started in all these colonies and they are progressing at a fast pace. A budget of Rs 2,800 crores for five years has been approved for them and Rs 660 crores have been released for 2007-08 and Rs 743 crores would be made available for 2008-09.”

Mr Chauhan said very soon, Delhi Government will also provide ownership right to people allotted plots under the 20-point programme. Applications for these plots have been invited by the concerned Deputy Commissioners, he said. Stating that projects worth Rs 700 crores have also been sanctioned for 196 villages under the Grameen Vikas Board, the Minister said it is the Delhi Government that has also enhanced the compensation for land to Rs 75.26 lakhs per acre. In his address, Mr Bidhuri demanded the setting up of a college and two hospitals in the area and also some land for setting up of a power grid that would boost availability of supply. The MLA also thanked the Chief Minister for sanctioning projects worth Rs 155 crores in his constituency. Noting that he had helped Ms Dikshit come to power in 1998 and 2003, Mr Bidhuri made a pre-poll promise of sorts and assured her of unrelenting support if her son Sandeep Dikshit were to contest from East Delhi parliamentary seat again in which Ali Vihar would fall.

Openly showing his fondness for the Congress, Mr Bidhuri also lauded Ms Dikshit for increasing the allocation for unauthorised colonies from Rs.20 crores during BJP rule before 1998 to Rs 2,800 crores now. “This is the first time that a concrete road has been built through and around Ali Vihar,” he said. He also appreciated the increase in compensation rate to Rs 75 lakhs per acre, the inclusion of the extended abadi of lal dora in the development plans, the provision for laying of sewers in 200 villages and giving of two room sets to the jhuggi jhopri dwellers.

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