Chandigarh, Feb 23: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday announced the launch of ‘Meri Rasoi Yojna,’ a large-scale nutrition initiative set to provide free food kits to 40 lakh families across Punjab. Speaking in Chandigarh, the Chief Minister stated that the distribution will begin this April, acting as a supplement to the wheat already provided under the National Food Security Act.
The Chief Minister maintained that the scheme is designed to strengthen food security for the state’s most vulnerable residents. Each provided kit will include two kilograms of moong-chana dal, two kilograms of sugar, one kilogram of salt, 200 grams of turmeric, and one litre of mustard oil.
“The hard working and resilient farmers of Punjab have worked tirelessly to ensure that no one in the country sleeps hungry,” Mann declared. “However, there are still some families within Punjab who struggle to manage daily meals. Keeping their hardships in mind, the state government has started this ambitious ‘Meri Rasoi Yojna’.”
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema noted that the scheme would particularly benefit Dalit and economically disadvantaged households. He asserted that the current administration is utilizing public funds transparently to serve the citizenry, contrasting this with the fiscal management of previous governments.
The Chief Minister affirmed that Markfed has been appointed as the nodal agency to oversee the procurement and quality of the supplies. He stated that the Food and Civil Supplies department will ensure the kits reach beneficiaries free of cost every quarter.
“This guarantee was not written and was not part of our party’s manifesto, but it is our moral responsibility towards the people of Punjab, and we are fulfilling it,” Mann asserted.
