Sukhbir Badal targets CM Mann over ‘Meri Rasoi’ scheme, calls it “poll-time promise”; Watch Video
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, February 23, 2026: Reacting sharply to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s announcement of the new welfare initiative ‘Meri Rasoi’, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday termed the move an “election-driven announcement” and accused the AAP government of misleading the people of Punjab.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister unveiled the ‘Meri Rasoi’ scheme, under which nearly 40 lakh economically weaker families will receive a special food kit along with wheat distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS). The kit will include 2 kg pulses, 2 kg sugar, 1 litre mustard oil, 1 kg iodized salt, and 200 grams turmeric powder.
Also Read: Punjab Govt to provide free wheat, pulses, sugar, oil and turmeric, announces CM Mann
Describing the kitchen stove as the “chartered accountant of every household,” Mann said the initiative aims to improve nutrition and ease the financial burden on poor families. He maintained that wheat alone does not complete a kitchen and essential items like oil and spices are equally necessary.
However, reacting to the announcement, Sukhbir Badal alleged that the scheme was another “false promise” in an election year. He questioned why several welfare measures introduced during the tenure of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had allegedly been discontinued.
The SAD leader asked why benefits such as shagun for daughters’ marriages, pensions for widows and the elderly, Dalit scholarships, bicycles for schoolgirls, uniforms, sports equipment for youth, and compensation for farmers were not being provided regularly.
He further claimed that the AAP government had failed to fulfil its promise of transferring ₹1,000 per month into every woman’s bank account, stating that the commitment remains unfulfilled.