Media persons sensitised on NFSA
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 23 2016: A one-day workshop for media persons on National Food Security Act (NFSA) was held today at Hotel Classic under the aegis of the Editors' Guild, Manipur (EGM) .

Among others CAF&PD Minister Ksh Biren, Commissioner BB Sharma, EGM president A Mobi, AIR Imphal Editor Dr A Ibomcha, Deputy Director of CAF PD, Ranjan Yumnam and economist Prof N Mohendro attended the workshop.

Speaking at the workshop, Prof Mohendro highlighted the need to improve the State's transport and communication infrastructure.

Rather than depending on Acts/schemes like NFSA, the State needs to devise a suitable food policy and enhance the State's productive capacity, he said.

Ksh Biren said that the State Government encountered a number of difficulties in implementing NFSA though it is a very popular scheme/Act.

Media persons sensitised on NFSA

On account of problems with the NIC, there was delay in generation and distribution of ration cards.

Wheat was also on the State's NFSA menu.

But CAF&PD Department exchanged the State's wheat quota with rice.

As of now, the State has FCI godowns only at Imphal, Senapati and Ukhrul.

The State Government often encounter many difficulties in stocking the State's share of rice on account of the limited number of godowns.

There is loss of some quantity of rice during transportation from godowns to fair price shops.

Highlighting the transportation loss, the department wrote to the Ministry of CAF&PD to allot additional quantity of rice but there has been no response till date, Biren stated.

Some political parties have been using NFSA as a medium for advancing their political interests.

Rather than lodging complaints with the authorities concerned, they were going to media whenever there were lapses or anomalies in the implementation of NFSA, he decried.

Many experts who spoke at the workshop expressed keen desire for replacement of agents who could not lift rice in time.

They also suggested computerisation of the entire process of transporting rice from godowns to fair price shops.

CAF&PD officials said that plans are afoot to install Electronic Point of Sale (ePOS) at 55 fair price shops in the first phase.

Dr A Ibomcha said that media played a key role in ensuring that NFSA was implemented in the State even though many political parties have been taking credit for enforcement of the Act.