NFSA & its implementation
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 22 2015 -
The recent news that the Governments of Tripura and Mizoram have almost computerised their Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) shows that there are States in the Northeast region making serious efforts to truly implement the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.
The Act aims at providing food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to the citizens so as to live a life with dignity.
NFSA provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and up to 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) covering about two-thirds of the population in India.
The eligible persons will be entitled to receive 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person per month at subsidised prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
The existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, which constitute the poorest of the poor, will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per household per month.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had said his State will start implementing the NFSA from next month (September) and that necessary preparations are almost completed.
He also informed that the Tripura Government has been demanding universalisation of PDS and distribution of 14 essential items to people through the PDS.
Over 95 percent of the 960,000 ration cards in Tripura have been already digitised. The remaining computerisation works and setting up of call centres are now under process, said State sources.
On a similar note, Mizoram Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister John Rotluangliana said that the State Government will start implementing the NFSA from October.
In Mizoram, so far, over 98 percent of the total 241,272 ration cards have been digitised.
The minister said those who were left out from the food security scheme, the state government will try to make arrangement to provide them rice at a cheaper rate.
It may be recalled that the Centre had asked all States and Union Territories to implement the NFSA from September. However, a Central Government report says that NFSA has been implemented by only 13 states and two union territories.
Most Northeastern states are yet to complete the computerisation of the entire TPDS and setting up call centres, both mandatory to implement NFSA.
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