The Congress has grand plans to “hard sell” its food security scheme.
The nationwide campaign, which will begin in August, will include house-to-house campaigns, documentary screenings, public meetings and media advertisements
Three States — Haryana, Delhi and Uttrakhand — have committed to launching the scheme on August 20, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi told a meeting of the 14 Congress Chief Ministers and party general secretaries here on Saturday that the scheme is a commitment of the party and that the States should start implementing it soon.
Presidents of all State units of the Congress and the legislative party leaders will soon be summoned to Delhi to be familiarised about the importance of the scheme.
The leadership has offered the States all necessary help to implement the scheme.
At Saturday’s meeting, which began with a speech by Sonia Gandhi and a 45-minute presentation on the scheme by Food Minister K.V. Thomas, the party vice-president Rahul Gandhi also made some interventions.
Rahul Gandhi also stressed the importance of adding nutrition components to the scheme. He suggested that pulses and edible oils also be distributed.
The Government is said to have accepted the suggestion. States may be given the freedom and the subsidy to import pulses and edible oils of their choice, a top Congress functionary, who attended the meeting, said.