New Delhi: The Food Corporation of India has written to its regional offices asking them to float tenders for bags laminated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "logo" in which foodgrains will be distributed under the public distribution system, The Hindu has reported.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) free foodgrains are to be provided to about 81.35 crore beneficiaries of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Households scheme.

The move comes ahead of the Lok Sabha election, which is expected to be held by May this year.

The Hindu report says that in "Rajasthan alone, synthetic bags costing Rs 13.29 crores have been ordered," according to a Right to Information reply secured by activist Ajay Bose. Rajasthan's supply order is of 1.07 crore synthetic bags at the cost of Rs 12.375 per bag.

While Rajasthan has awarded the tender for the bags to five companies, Nagaland has awarded the contract to only one, at Rs 9.30 per bag.

An official in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, told the newspaper that such branding has started in 2024, "ahead of the election."

Tamil Nadu, meanwhile, has floated a tender for the supply of 1.14 crore bags. Maharashtra is yet to finalise tendering.

Earlier this month, Kerala chief minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Pinarayi Vijayan rejected the Union government’s directive to install selfie points featuring cut outs of Prime Minister Narendra at big ration shops under the PMGKAY.

Earlier, the Modi government has withheld funds from West Bengal for refusing to print the prime minister’s photographs on bags used to distribute ration.

In 2021, the news that India's COVID-19 vaccination certificates had the prime minister's photo on it had caused global flutter.

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