NFS: Who are in or who are out?
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, September 16 2013: Along with directing the concerned Deputy Commissioners/Additional Deputy Commissioners to complete identification of beneficiary households under the National Food Security Ordinance, 2013 on or before September 30, the Government of Manipur has spelt out the selection criteria of the beneficiary households.

According to an order issued by Additional Secretary (CAF & PD), Government of Manipur M Yaiskul Meitei on August 30 last, for the implementation of National Food Security Ordinance, 2013, which envisages to provide foodgrains at subsidized rate to the eligible household of the State, the eligible households would be classified as Antyodaya Anna Yojana Households and Priority Households.

Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households under the AAY scheme launched by the Central Government on 25th December, 2000 shall be entitled to receive 35 kgs of foodgrains per month at the subsidized rate of Rs 3 per kg for rice, Rs 2 per kg for wheat and Rs 1 per kg for coarse grains and each member of priority household shall be entitled to receive 5 kg of foodgrain at these rates.

The programme would be implemented under the Targeted Public Distribution System.

As conveyed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, the number of eligible households to be covered in Manipur would be as per NSSO Survey, 2011-12 based on the consumption index.

So, with the implementation of the National Food Security Ordinance, 2013, a total of 23.87 lakh beneficiaries (87 percent of the population) in Manipur would be covered under Targeted Public Distribution System.

In addition to this, pregnant women, lactating mothers and children upto to the age of 14 years would continue to get enhanced benefits under Anganwadis and Mid-Day Meal scheme.

These schemes would continue to be implemented by the Social Welfare Department and School Education Department, Manipur respectively.

Since the National Food Security Ordinance, 2013 is to be implemented under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and the number of present beneficiaries under TPDS is 20.32 lakhs (4,06,593 households), its implementation would require identification of additional 3.55 lakhs more beneficiaries (approximately 70,000 households) and the identification of the eligible households would be done in pursuance of Section 10 of the National Food Security Ordinance, 2013 .

Accordingly, households having annual income of less than Rs 1 lakh and fulfilling the laid down criteria would be considered as eligible households for inclusion in the AAY and Priority category as the case may be.

Thus, the inclusion criteria include households with disabled persons (as defined in Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995) but subject to submission of prescribed medical certificate, single women (including widows, unmarried and separated and deserted women) living in household as dependent or as head of household, children living without protection, persons living with HIV, occupationally vulnerable groups like unskilled construction workers, casual daily wage labourers, casual domestic workers, cycle rickshaw drivers, unskilled workers in small households enterprises, unskilled workers in household industries and any other households having annual income less than Rs 1 lakh per annum.

However, notwithstanding , the fulfilment of the inclusion criteria, such households where any member owns a light (four-wheeler) or heavy vehicle, is an income tax payee or if the household is receiving ration/food subsidy under any other scheme would not be eligible.

For the identification of the eligible households, the eldest female would be treated as head of the Households.

Applicants will be assisted in filling up the forms in the office of DC/ADC.

The application should be submitted in the prescribed format by the head of the household enclosing documents like residence proof of the applicant, income certificate issued by the Revenue department, wherever applicable, ration card (if the applicant or any member of the household has ration card of any type) and an undertaking by the applicant duly attested by an executive magistrate in the prescribed format certifying that applicant does not fall under any of the exclusion categories, the order explained.

For the selection of the beneficiaries, the order further said, the applications received would be scrutinized and field verification would be conducted.

Before declaring any household as eligible, the DC/ADC would issue a public notice in the local media that he intends to include such household(s) in the category of the eligible households and will publish it on the notice board of his office for a minimum period of 7 days.

Any objection for inclusion of any household in the category of eligible household can be filed within 7 days of publication of the list.

The DC/ADC will consider the objection and opportunity of being hard will be given to the applicant before rejecting her application in response to any such objection.

After disposing of the objection received, the DC/ADC will include the applicant household in the list of eligible household category.

After this, a new ration cared titled, National Food security Card' will be issued to the applicant, the order added.

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