The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government on Wednesday said the Centre has rejected their proposed scheme for the doorstep delivery of ration, citing “funny excuses”.

Addressing a virtual press conference, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the Delhi government received a letter from the Centre on Tuesday that said that the proposal for the doorstep ration delivery scheme for poor people has been rejected.

He, however, claimed the Delhi government did not send any proposal regarding the scheme to the Centre for its approval.

“What proposal did they reject when none was sent to them? Ration distribution under public distribution system is the responsibility of the state. If people can have pizza, clothes and other consumables delivered to their homes, why can’t ration be delivered to their doorstep?” he asked.

Listing the Centre’s “funny excuses”, Sisodai said that it has asked how it will be verified that the address is correct and how ration will be delivered to beneficiaries who live in narrow lanes and multi-storey buildings.

The Centre also asked what will happen if ration delivery vans get stuck in traffic or break down, he said.

The deputy CM also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “picking fights with states”, citing the Centre’s tussle with West Bengal and Maharashtra governments.

“I want to ask the prime minister why he is always in the mood to quarrel. The country has never seen such a quarrelsome prime minister in the last 75 years,” Sisodia said.

The AAP-led Delhi government was scheduled to launch the ration delivery scheme, which it claims would benefit 72 lakh ration cardholders in the city if implemented, in June.

However, the launch was halted after the lieutenant governor returned the file on the scheme stating that it could not be implemented, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.