Itanagar: Making food security a high agenda of his governance, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki on Tuesday took principal decisions to implement the National Food Security Act in the state.
The state government is all geared up to implement National Food Security Act-2013 with effect from December 1 next, an official communiqué said on Wednesday.
Chairing a high level meeting of Food and Civil Supplies department, Tuki called for a holistic approach to ensure proper implementation of the Act which ensures 5 kg of rice per individual and 35 kg per family per month at Rs 3 per KG.
In what is termed as a major development, the state shall constitute a Food Commission under section 16 of the Act and for the time being till regular commission is put in place, it was decided that the Arunachal Pradesh State Women Commission will be delegated with the state food commission’s functions and activities.
Another important decision was to constitute a state corporation in the line of Food Corporation of India (FCI) to implement the programme in the state, the communiqué said.
In order to decide over to how to go about with the implementation part, a committee headed by Principal Secretary Finance as chairman and Secretary Planning, Secretary Food and civil supplies, director food and civil supplies as members has been constituted.
The committee has been entrusted to scrutinise the process on every aspect to make the National food security act effective besides rationalisation of staff for the commission and corporation.
It would also recommend a suitable name for the corporation apart from recommending the Cabinet scheduled on November 22 next on the matters related to other requirements to implement the Act by 1st of December.
In a major development, the head load system has been done away and replaced by helicopter dropping wherever necessary.
The house, however, asked the department to re-verify and re-notify the inaccessible areas where head load system was prevalent, which is to be replaced by air sorties.
It was further decided to make buffer stock provisions for one year and upgrade all the existing warehouse godowns and built new ones where there are no such godowns which can store the ration.
The state government would make available funds for the purpose through BADP and state funds besides moving the Centre for release of fund under NFSA at one go to ensure that the buffer stock provision is materialized, the communiqué informed. These air sorties would be carried out before the monsoon.
The chief minister directed the department to issue directives to their officers and officials in the field to submit monthly reports to the respective deputy commissioners and the deputy commissioners to the state government in quarterly basis. Funds would be made available to the DCs for keeping buffer stock.
Tuki suggested for putting up complaint box in all the districts headquarters and sub-divisional headquarters for entertaining the grievances put forth by the general public on food security.
He categorically said that in order to ensure that this food security act is implemented in letter and spirit, the general people should participate whole heartedly.
The meeting further decided that the chief secretary would hold a video conferencing with all the deputy commissioners on implementation of NFSA on November 20 next.
It was also decided that the state corporation on food security would open up low cost departmental stores in all the district headquarters which would provide the general public with essential items in genuine rates and on pilot project basis, an outlet would be started in the state capital first.
Tuki also approved an amount of Rs 1770 lakhs for release to the respective district untied funds to enable the district administrations to take up need based projects in the districts.
An amount of Rs 50 lakh each would be placed at the disposal of the deputy commissioners while Rs 20 lakhs each would be released to additional deputy commissioners (ADCs) with independent charges. (PTI)
