UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday unveiled the Delhi government's ambitious food programme 'Annashree’, under which monthly cash subsidy of Rs 600 will be transferred directly into the bank account of the seniormost female member of 2 lakh poorest of poor families in the capital.

The government has tied up with leading banks to implement the 'Dilli Annashree Yojana', to be implemented with retrospective effect from April 1, 2012. Around 4 lakh households are at present getting subsidised food items under below poverty line (BPL) and AAY schemes. Those not covered by these schemes will get direct cash subsidies under the new programme, announced by chief minister Sheila Dikshit while presenting the annual budget in May.

The government will spend around Rs 150 crore in the current fiscal for the scheme. Each beneficiary family would have been provided cash subsidy of Rs 4,800 today as entitlements for the last eight months. The beneficiaries have been identified through a survey.

Hailing the Annashree scheme, Gandhi said it is a reflection of sympathy of the UPA, the Congress party and the Delhi government for the poorest section of people on the issue of food security.

She said what strikes her most about this scheme is that money will go directly into the hands of women of beneficiary families, which will boost their self-confidence and empowerment.

She also said the Delhi government's Annnashree programme does not aim at substituting the public distribution system (PDS) but to increase the number of beneficiaries and reach out to those left out by the PDS.

"There are many problems related to the BPL list,” the Congress president said. “There are a number of needy and poor families who are not included in these lists. This scheme will provide food security to those left out in the BPL list for some reason or the other."

She also hailed Dikshit and her government for instituting several schemes to ensure that the poor do not go hungry, and hoped that the new scheme will be effective.

Calling the scheme India’s first totally Aadhar-based cash transfer programme, Gandhi also highlighted the Centre’s direct benefit transfer system, which will be implemented in 51 districts across the country from January 1, 2014, facilitating cash entitlement in 34 schemes in all. She said it is in line with many other "revolutionary" measures taken by the UPA.

"The purpose of this scheme is to ensure that the government's money being disbursed in pension, scholarship, MNREGA wage payment and social benefit schemes reaches the beneficiaries directly and without any delay. This money will reach hands of the beneficiaries, not only up to bank accounts and post offices," Gandhi said.

However, she made it clear that that this cash transfer scheme is not being implemented by the Centre in food and fertiliser subsidy programmes. She said the cash transfer scheme is envisaged on the basis of the ideology of balanced development of the UPA in which welfare of the poor is the topmost priority.
Gandhi announced her intent to bring the much-discussed food security bill in Parliament soon to ensure that no poor family remains hungry and also hailed the land acquisition bill, which got the Cabinet's nod on Thursday.

Noting that keeping in mind the ideology of balanced development, the UPA government under the leadership of prime minister Manmohan Singh has come out with several "revolutionary" legislations like RTI, RTE, MNREGA, Gandhi said, "Recently a bill on land acquisition has been given the government's nod, which has been made keeping in mind the welfare of farmers and livelihood losers."

"We will soon bring a food security bill in Parliament, which will ensure that all poor families in the country get foodgrain at proper price and no poor family has to remain hungry," she added.