Punjab Congress today hailed the launching of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme for the beneficiaries of various subsidies being provided by the government of India. The party said, the scheme will ensure that the entire benefit reaches to the beneficiaries without any pilferage or corruption.Welcoming the launching of the scheme, Punjab Congress general secretary and Dhuri MLA Arvind Khanna also lashed out at the opposition parties particularly the Akali Dal and the Bhartiya Janata Party opposing the scheme for the narrow partisan interests. He said, they were simply scared that they will no longer be able to claim credit for centrally sponsored schemes which so far they were selling as their own.
Khanna said, the direct transfer of subsidies to the beneficiaries has been widely welcomed by economists and social organisations for the obvious reason that this will lead to the entire benefit of the welfare schemes reaching to the real beneficiaries while avoiding the middlemen.
The Congress general secretary asked the Akali Dal and the BJP as whether they were speaking for the middlemen who rob off most of the benefits of the subsidies or the real deserved beneficiaries who stand advantaged with the direct subsidy.
He said, it was quite surprising that the opposition parties were accusing the government of India of launching people friendly policies with the purpose of getting votes. “Do they mean that the government of India should do nothing just because they fear that it will fetch support from the public?” he asked, while adding, the opposition parties should gracefully welcome the welfare schemes which are going to benefit everyone deserving irrespective of any political affiliations.