SHILLONG: Despite the Centre publicizing the release of essential items at subsidized rates as per the National Food Security Act, 2013 the same is not available in the State at the prescribed prices.
With an eye on the Lok Sabha polls, the UPA government has decided to make available certain essential items– wheat at Rs 2 per kg, rice at Rs 3 per kg and jowar at Re 1 per kg– at subsidized rates. A number of Central government-sponsored advertisements in this regard have come out in different news papers.
Even as the Centre has announced various features of the Food Security Act, no initiative to launch the project has been undertaken by the State Government which has only started preparing the list of beneficiaries When contacted, sources in the Food and Civil Supplies department said that the Deputy Commissioners of the various districts had been directed to prepare the list of beneficiaries for implementation of the Food Security Scheme as per the Draft Socio Economic List of the Community and Rural Development department.
“The Deputy Commissioners in few of the districts have already started the exercise to compile the list of beneficiaries but the process might take some time since many blocks in majority of the districts are yet to complete the socio-economic census,” official sources informed here on Tuesday.
Official sources said that they would not be able to come out with the final list of beneficiaries unless the complete data of the socio-economic census is received from the C&RD department.
“Once the final list is available, we would immediately start distribution of the food grains and other items as per the Food Security Scheme,” official sources said.
Meanwhile, official sources informed that the printing of ration cards has commenced.
“We would be issuing the new ration cards to both the new and old beneficiaries. The beneficiaries under various categories like BPL and AAY would have to surrender their old ration cards once the new rations cards are issued,” official sources said.
On August 10 last, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma had stated that the State Government would complete the process of identifying the beneficiaries within 60 days and will accordingly prepare a draft list.
Incidentally, on October 1 last, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Clement Marak, had stated that Meghalaya has taken all steps for implementation of the National Food Security scheme covering nearly 80 per cent of rural areas and 50 per cent of urban areas. Marak had made the statement while speaking at the conference of state food ministers in New Delhi.