Chandigarh, October 23
Ludhiana MP and former Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Friday questioned the Punjab government’s decision to float a ₹500-crore tender for a free flour distribution scheme, alleging that it amounted to unnecessary expenditure when beneficiaries were already satisfied with the existing wheat distribution programme.
Clarifying that he was not opposed to free welfare benefits, Warring said government schemes must continue to support poor and genuinely needy families, but their implementation should ensure the judicious use of public money.
“Welfare schemes must not be discontinued, but public money must not be misused either,” he said, adding that such initiatives were an essential component of social justice and should remain in place both now and in the future.
Questioning the rationale behind the proposed flour scheme, Warring asked how the ₹500-crore tender could be justified when people were already satisfied with the existing wheat distribution system. He said the government should explain why additional expenditure was necessary.
The Congress leader also accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of favouring its associates while failing to adequately support people in genuine need. Referring to Gayatri Bishnoi, an AAP worker, he alleged that government facilities and accommodation had been provided for her father’s medical treatment, while patients arriving from remote areas of Punjab at PGI Chandigarh were forced to spend nights on the streets with their families.
Warring questioned whether such expenses could not be managed privately and alleged that the government’s priorities were misplaced. He said savings generated by curbing unnecessary expenditure and ensuring the proper utilisation of public funds could be redirected towards public welfare, including free higher education for poor and needy students and strengthening healthcare facilities. The government, he said, should focus not merely on announcing new schemes but also on ensuring accountability for every rupee of taxpayers’ money and improving the quality of life of the people.
