Jharkhand: Food Act to be rolled out today, grain from Oct 1
Jharkhand will roll out the National Food Security Act from October that will benefit more than 2.33 crore people in the state, officials said on Thursday.
Jharkhand will roll out the National Food Security Act from October that will benefit more than 2.33 crore people in the state, officials said on Thursday.
Chief minister Raghubar Das will launch the scheme at a function in Ranchi on Friday and distribution of subsidized foodgrain will start from October 1, said state food and public distribution minister Saryu Rai.
“The CM will roll out the NFSA on Friday with a token distribution of ration cards. Beneficiaries will get food grains under the new act from next month,” Rai told Hindustan Times.
A total of 2.33 crore beneficiaries have been identified and the state government will put in place all necessary infrastructure to supply highly subsidised foodgrain through public distribution system, he said, adding that the Centre will allot more than 1.30 lakh tonne of foodgrain for Jharkhand every month to implement the new law.
Rai further said that the government in Jharkhand has decided to announce the rollout of the NFSA on the birth anniversary of Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya
According to the Centre’s allocation letter, Jharkhand will get 115,404 tonne of rice at Rs 3 and 14, 732 tonnes of wheat at Rs 2 per month. However, the Jharkhand government has decided to further subsidise the foodgrain and make it available at Re 1 a kg for the beneficiaries.
The Act was passed by Parliament in September 2013 when the UPA was in power. The deadline for implementing the ne act has been extended thrice, with the latest one in September. The Act provides a legal entitlement to 5 kg of subsidised foodgrain per person every month.
Giridih district has the maximum number of beneficiaries under the NFSA with more than 18 lakh while Lohardaga has the lowest having more than 4.14 lakh recipients.
Out of Jharkhand’s 3.29 crore population, more than 2.33 crore people will be covered under the NFSA and will be entitled for the subsidized foodgrain, said state food and public distribution secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey.
“We will get the foodgrain from Food Corporation of India next month for distribution. Ration cards distribution under the new law are in the final stage,” he said.
Food Security at a glance