SHILLONG: The State is likely to roll out the landmark National Food Security Act passed by the Parliament in 2013 by February.
The State missed the January 2016 target for implementing the scheme since it could not complete the distribution of new ration cards. The distribution, according to Principal Secretary, PW Ingty, may take another three weeks’ time following which the food law can be implemented.
The state governments were given a year’s time to implement the scheme. Since then, the deadline has been extended thrice, with the latest one ending in September 2015.
It may be mentioned that Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan had informed that Meghalaya along with Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Andaman & Nicobar will roll out the Food Bill by January 2016.
Paswan had earlier said that 22 states and UTs have rolled out the law while 14 are in the process of doing so. It may be mentioned that the Meghalaya Cabinet in the Assembly session last year approved the implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013 in the State.
Following the approval, the State Government informed that the list of beneficiaries will be identified as per the latest Socio-Economic census, after which the Government will wait for the Centre’s approval to implement the programme.
The scheme targets to provide rice and wheat at the rate of Rs 3 and Rs 2 per kg respectively to the identified beneficiaries who will avail 5 kg of food grains per head per month.
According to the Government, the percentage of beneficiaries identified under the scheme in the rural areas is 77.79 while in urban areas it is 50.87. The scheme is expected to benefit 18,45,631 beneficiaries in rural areas and 3,03,464 beneficiaries in urban areas of Meghalaya.
The scheme is slated to cost Rs 3.28 crore per month while the State’s share is 25% of the total.
Till now, 22 states and UTs have rolled out the law while 14 are in the process of doing so, he said.
