Centre provided free ration to 80 cr people during Covid: Anurag Thakur

Union minister Anurag Thakur on Monday said that the Centre provided free ration to 80 crore people for eight months without any discrimination during the Covid pandemic.

Thakur stated this while dedicating a PSA oxygen plant and modern machines worth Rs 1.7 crore to Tounidevi Civil Hospital here.

The Union minister of information and broadcasting also said that under the Ujjwala scheme, gas cylinders have been made available to crores of women free of cost and thousands of crores of rupees have also been deposited in their Jan Dhan accounts.

Appealing to the people to take adequate precautions against Covid as it still exists, he told reporters in his parliamentary constituency that the people have been administered two doses free of cost.

Earlier, he launched an automatic sanitary pad production machine under the Swachh Bharat-Swasth Bharat Mission at Narsin village in Kakdiyar gram panchayat.

The BJP government always worked for the empowerment of women, the Union minister said, adding that former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had provided 50 per cent reservation to women in Panchayati Raj institutions.

At present, about 65 per cent of women are elected in Panchayati Raj institutions, he said.