Chandigarh, Aug 23 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday claimed that the BJP-led Central government wants the removal of names of more than eight lakh ration card holders in the state under the National Food Security Act, but his government will not allow it.

Mann also questioned the criteria adopted by the Centre to suggest striking off the names of beneficiaries for the public distribution system (PDS).

Addressing the media here, Mann said his government recently received a report from the Centre in which it said that the names of 8,02,493 ration card holders in Punjab should be deleted as they are no longer eligible for it.

Recently, we received a report from the BJP government at the Centre that 8,02,493 ration cards are being cut, said Mann.

"If we consider four members per family, the move will impact at least 32 lakh people in the state," Mann said.

Attacking the BJP government, Mann said, "On one hand they are saying that they want to make the country a 'Vishwa Guru'. On the other hand, after 'vote chor', they are becoming 'ration chor'." Questioning the criteria adopted for cancelling the names of beneficiaries, the chief minister claimed the Centre has said that beneficiaries who have a four-wheeler or a turnover of Rs 25 lakh and have more than 2.50 acres of land are ineligible.

Mann asked if a ration card holder gets a government job and shifts to the city from his village, will the rest of his family not get ration? "If a ration card holder has a car but his brother does not possess one, what is the fault of the rest of the family," he asked.

Asserting that his government will not let the Centre delete a single ration card, he said, "Till the time Bhagwant Mann is the chief minister, not even a single card will be allowed to be cut." Mann said there are a total of 1.53 crore beneficiaries in Punjab under the NFSA who are given wheat.

"We have 1.53 crore beneficiaries who get wheat. But they (BJP) say that many of them are fake beneficiaries. We have verified 1.29 crore beneficiaries. I have written to the Centre to give us six months to find out who is right or wrong (verification of beneficiaries)," Mann said.

"This is the AAP government and we always stand by the poor," he added.

Under the NFSA, each beneficiary is entitled to 5 kg of wheat per month at Rs 2 a kg.

Citing an example of PM Awas Yojna, Mann said according to the Centre's criteria, there will not be a single beneficiary in Punjab for this scheme.

"If you have a ceiling or table fan, a scooter, an electric meter, you are out of this scheme. The Centre says 24,097 people who take ration have four-wheelers," he claimed.

Replying to the BJP's charge of "forcibly stopping" its awareness camps, Mann asked how they could collect personal data like phone number, PAN details of anyone.

"What has happened in Bihar? They were left embarrassed in the Supreme Court. They were saying they do not consider Aadhaar card. Otherwise, for everything an Aadhaar card is required. After 'vote chori', they are doing 'ration chori'," he alleged.

To a question on 'vote chori', Mann said, "They (BJP-led Centre) must have done it earlier also. But this time they have been caught." On the BJP's charge that before the Punjab polls, the AAP collected data while promising Rs 1,000 for women, Mann said, "We have to give Rs 1,000 to every woman within five years. We have to prepare a database.

"However, we are not taking people's phone numbers, PAN details or personal data. We are not asking them who they vote for." The chief minister also alleged that the BJP has the habit of "looting" votes.

A row has erupted after the BJP accused the AAP government of "forcibly stopping" its awareness camps at 39 locations across Punjab.

The party said that these camps were part of its outreach programme, 'BJP De Sewadar, Aa Gaye Tuhade Dwar', to ensure that the poor, the scheduled castes, farmers, youth and women get the benefits of the public welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

However, the AAP has accused the BJP workers of illegally collecting personal details in the name of central schemes. PTI CHS VSD ARI