Implementation of NFSA in disarray
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, December 03 2014 : Even as people in other States are being benefitted from the ambitious National Food Security Act (Right to Food) passed on July 5, 2013 during the regime of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) with the sole aim to root out poverty from the country, the allotted subsidy granted by the Central Government under the Act to the State has been lost due to the failure of the State Government to implement the Act even after one year of commencement of the Act.

Under the ambit of National Food Security Act, each person is entitled to get 5 kg each of rice (Rs 3 per kg), wheat (Rs 2 per kg) and millet (Rs 1 per kg) every month.

In ensuring the provision, the Central Government has been spending crores of rupee.

Though the subsidy amount is not reached directly to the public, the Central Government is supplying in the form of food grains incurring huge amount of money from its budget.

For those people who have not been benefitted from the Act, their allotted subsidies amount is lying useless in the Government's account.

Given the situation, it's a great loss for a State like Manipur which has not been able to implement the Act despite passing one year of its implementation.

Food security and food security in India : Pix - Wikipedia/ncert

On November 28 last in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State (Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution), Raosaheb Patil Danve had stated that the subsidy for the period 2013-14 has been not utilized fully while only Rs 88, 509 crore has been utilized out of the total budget amount for the period 2014-15 .

He also informed the Upper House that based on reports submitted by States and Union Territories of the country for selection of beneficiaries under the act, supply of food grains has been started in Bihar, Chandigarh, Chattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan.

Elaborating on the failure to implement the act in the State, M Yaiskul, Director of CAF & PD said that identification of beneficiaries who will be benefitted under the act has been already completed.

He confided that the erstwhile classification of AAY, APL and BPL for distribution of PDS items will not be applied in implementation of National Food Security Act, while adding that work for preparation of card for beneficiaries under the act has been already started.

Exuding confidence that implementation of the ambitious act in the State would be started lately by April of next year; the CAF & PD Director admitted that the Central Government has not so far taken a final decision on transportation charge which will be required in transportation of food grains in different districts of the State.

The State Government had requested the Central Government to bear 100 percent transportation subsidy.

However, the Central Government is of the view that the transportation subsidy should be shared with the State Government.

Since the State Government is not in a condition to share the transportation charge which is in terms of crores of rupee, the Central Government had been urged to bear the charge alone.

A decision in this regard is likely to be taken by the Central Government soon, he explained.

Asked why the people of the State are compelled to get rice at higher rate while people in some States are getting rice at Rs 3 per kg, the Director said that other economically-sound States have the tendency to agree with any decision finalized by the Central Government regarding sharing of transportation charge.

He expressed apprehension that Manipur and other northeastern States would face inevitable constraints in implementation of the act if the Central Government does not grant transportation subsidy.