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.
With the spike in Covid-19 cases, Punjab on Tuesday imposed statewide night curfew daily from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and ordered closure of all educational institutions till January 15.
The accused, identified as Ashish Kumar, tied his wife Ranjan Devi and son Vaibhav to the bed and set them on fire at his house in Mayurwa locality, which comes under the Triveniganj police station.
Nearly 100 students and resident doctors of the Government Medical College in Patiala in Punjab have tested positive for Covid-19, officials said on Tuesday. A retirement party and New Year Eve's party held on the college campus without following appropriate Covid-19 behaviour is blamed for alarming spike in the cases.
With 192 new cases of highly transmissible Covid variant Omicron detected in the last 24 hours, India's Omicron tally on Tuesday rose to 1,892 cases. Maharashtra and Delhi continue to be the worst-hit states with this new variant.
Badal in a statement here listed five major issues on which he said a prime ministerial package would lend credence and respectability to Modi's visit to Punjab on January 5. The former CM also drew the PM's attention to thousands of Sikh families awaiting justice for the massacre of 1984.
Addressing a gathering of Anganwadi workers in Morinda town, the Chief Minister declared that from now onwards the monthly emoluments of the Anganwadi workers stand increased from Rs 8,100 to Rs 9,500, mini-Anganwadi workers from Rs 5,300 to Rs 6,300 and helpers from Rs 4,050 to Rs 5,100.
