Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the ‘CM Meri Rasoi Yojana’ in Sangrur as part of the state government’s welfare initiatives aimed at strengthening food and nutrition security for economically weaker families. Under the scheme, nearly 40 lakh families covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) will receive free quarterly ration kits in addition to subsidised wheat already distributed under existing programmes. However, the scheme has also triggered political controversy after photographs of the Chief Minister appeared on the ration kits distributed across Punjab.
Key Takeaways on Punjab’s ‘Meri Rasoi Yojana’
- Punjab government launched the ‘CM Meri Rasoi Yojana’ in Sangrur
- Around 40 lakh NFSA beneficiary families will receive quarterly ration kits
- Each kit includes pulses, sugar, mustard oil, salt and turmeric powder
- The scheme aims to improve food and nutrition security in Punjab
- Markfed has been appointed as the nodal agency for implementation
- The annual expenditure of the scheme is estimated at around Rs 900–950 crore
- Opposition leaders criticised the use of Bhagwant Mann’s photographs on ration kits
- The controversy revived earlier debates over political branding in welfare schemes
Punjab Government Launches ‘CM Meri Rasoi Yojana’
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the ‘CM Meri Rasoi Yojana’ in Sangrur on May 9, 2026, describing it as a welfare initiative intended to strengthen nutrition support for economically weaker families across the state.
The Punjab government announced that nearly 40 lakh families covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) would receive free ration kits four times a year. The initiative has been introduced in addition to the wheat already distributed to beneficiaries under the NFSA and the Atta-Dal scheme.
The state government said the scheme was designed to improve food security and help prevent child malnutrition, particularly among vulnerable households.
Speaking about the initiative, Mann stated that the government considered nutritious food for children a moral responsibility and not merely a political promise.
What Beneficiaries Will Receive Under the Scheme
Under the ‘Meri Rasoi Yojana’, eligible families will receive a quarterly food kit containing essential household commodities.
Contents of Each Quarterly Kit
| Item | Quantity |
| Chana Dal | 2 kg |
| Sugar | 2 kg |
| Mustard Oil | 1 litre |
| Iodised Salt | 1 kg |
| Turmeric Powder | 200 gm |
The Punjab government said the kits were intended to reduce the financial burden on families at a time when kitchen expenses had increased sharply.
Mann also said reports from schools indicated that several children from economically weaker families were not receiving proper nutrition, making the initiative necessary for strengthening food and nutrition security across Punjab.
Implementation and Budget Allocation
The Punjab government announced that Markfed would function as the nodal agency for the implementation of the scheme, while the food and civil supplies department would distribute the ration kits free of cost.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said a budget allocation of Rs 950 crore would be made for the scheme after assessing the number of beneficiaries and prevailing market prices of commodities.
Another report stated that the annual expenditure on the scheme was expected to be around Rs 900 crore.
According to government sources, the scheme was formally rolled out on May 15 for the April–June quarter, and distribution to all beneficiary families was expected to take nearly one and a half months.
The Chief Minister also assured that strict quality checks would be maintained for all supplied items and warned that complaints regarding poor quality or irregular supply would be dealt with strictly.
Bhagwant Mann’s Photographs on Ration Kits Spark Controversy
Soon after photographs of the newly launched ration kits surfaced publicly, a political controversy erupted over the appearance of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s photographs on the packaging.
Images showed Mann wearing a yellow turban and brown jacket over a white kurta on the ration kits distributed to beneficiaries across Punjab.
Opposition leaders, including Bikram Singh Majithia and Sukhpal Singh Khaira, criticised the move and accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of converting a welfare initiative into political publicity ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Majithia described the development on X as an “Extreme case of grandiose narcissism,” while Khaira questioned whether Bhagwant Mann would respond to concerns raised over the branding exercise.
Opposition parties argued that displaying photographs of political leaders on publicly funded welfare material violated the spirit of welfare delivery.
Earlier Branding Controversies Resurface
The controversy surrounding the ration kits revived earlier debates in Punjab regarding political branding on government-funded infrastructure and welfare schemes.
More than a decade earlier, Punjab had faced objections from the Centre after photographs of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal appeared on ‘108’ ambulances operating under the National Health Mission.
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At that time, the Centre had warned Punjab that grants worth more than Rs 12 crore could be affected if the photographs were not removed from the ambulances.
The latest controversy also brought renewed attention to previous allegations by Opposition parties regarding the use of AAP’s signature yellow-and-blue colour scheme on public infrastructure across Punjab.
Opposition leaders had earlier objected to:
- Government schools being painted in yellow and blue shades
- Government hospitals carrying similar colour themes
- Nearly 650 new PRTC buses painted in yellow and blue
- Tirath Yatra scheme buses displaying photographs of Bhagwant Mann and AAP branding
The Punjab government denied allegations of partisan political messaging and maintained that the initiatives were welfare-oriented.
Additional Welfare and Infrastructure Announcements
While launching the scheme, Bhagwant Mann highlighted several other welfare programmes being implemented by the Punjab government.
These included:
- Free electricity schemes
- The ‘CM Health Scheme’
- The ‘Maa-Dheeyan Samman Yojana’
- Assured daytime power supply for farmers
- Canal irrigation water facilities
From village Sattoj, the Punjab government also initiated an infrastructure project aimed at making Punjab “pole-free” by shifting overhead electricity wires underground.
The Chief Minister said the government remained committed to building a “Rangla Punjab” through development-focused and welfare-oriented governance.
Mann also reiterated that the government had introduced strict legislation in sacrilege-related cases, including provisions for life imprisonment and a Rs 50 lakh fine.
Separately, while responding to questions from reporters, the Chief Minister said investigations were continuing into the killings of assistant sub-inspector Gurnam Singh and home guard Ashok Kumar near the Pakistan border in Gurdaspur.
He also commented on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Punjab and said the state would cooperate with the Election Commission of India while ensuring that genuine votes were not deleted.
Political Debate Continues Around Welfare Branding
The launch of the ‘Meri Rasoi Yojana’ has become both a major welfare announcement and a fresh political flashpoint in Punjab. While the Punjab government has projected the initiative as a nutrition-support measure for economically weaker families, Opposition parties continue to question the use of political imagery on public welfare material. The debate has also renewed wider discussions over political branding in government-funded schemes and infrastructure projects, an issue that has surfaced repeatedly across successive governments in Punjab.
FAQs on Meri Rasoi Yojana Punjab
1. What is Punjab’s ‘Meri Rasoi Yojana’?
It is a Punjab government scheme providing free quarterly ration kits to nearly 40 lakh NFSA beneficiary families.
2. What items are included in the ration kit?
The kit contains chana dal, sugar, mustard oil, iodised salt and turmeric powder.
3. Who launched the ‘Meri Rasoi Yojana’?
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the scheme in Sangrur.
4. Why has the scheme triggered controversy?
Opposition leaders criticised the use of Bhagwant Mann’s photographs on ration kits distributed under the scheme.
5. What is the estimated cost of the scheme?
The Punjab government estimated the scheme’s annual expenditure at around Rs 900–950 crore.
