By Our Reporter
Shillong, Nov 13: ‘Food Security’ Campaign to sensitise the people on the Sustainable Development Goal 2 to achieve ‘Zero Hunger’ was launched by the department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs here on Monday.
Minister-in-charge, Comingone Ymbon attended the launching programme at the Shillong Press Club.
He informed that the campaign will sensitise the general public and citizens of the state in understanding the features entailed to ensure that the poorest of the poor have access to food grains by reaching out to the key stakeholders, community-based institutions, general public and various partners.
The minister said that the department is exploring the use of social, mainstream and community-based media to communicate the verticals of the department and apply hyper-local approach to reason with the public on pertinent matters linked to the provisions by the NFSA.
He added that the objectives of the campaign is to create general awareness about food security being a right of the citizen and calls upon the public at ground zero community level to work together towards ‘Zero Hunger’ to meet the need of the public at the bottom of the socioeconomic pyramid.
According to him, the One Nation One Ration Card scheme (ONORC) will also be taken up as one of the salient features of the National Food Security Act.
The campaign also aims to streamline registration and services by encouraging the public to seed their Aadhaar card and registered mobile number with their ration card. The process will enable the ration card holding family to obtain maximum benefits from the department.
“Besides, the campaign will widely inform the public on the Redressal System, the toll-free helpline 1967, the use of the Electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) and other mandates of the Department,” the Minister said.
Earlier, Commissioner and Secretary in-charge Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs,
Pravin Bakshi informed that Meghalaya is among the states who are the beneficiary of the National Food Security Act. He further informed that 50.87 per cent of the urban population and 77.79 per cent population of the State as per Socio Economic Caste Census of 2011 is covered under the NFSA.
He also informed that the state government has roll out initiatives – mainly supply of rice and to make sure that the poor and disadvantaged get support under food security at a very low cost and subsised rate of Rs 3 per kg.