Agartala: While demanding food for all under National Food Security Act, Tripura has insisted to distribute other essential commodities including edible oil and pulses through Public Distribution System (PDS). Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bhanu Lal Saha reiterated the demand of universalisation of food at the Food Ministers’ conference in New Delhi Tuesday and asked for necessary amendment in the Act.
He reminded at least 40 Crore people of the country would be excluded from the PDS if the food security Act implemented without modification and questioned whether these population did not require security of food.
“Only rice will not fulfil the nutritional requirement of the people in general rather it has to be supplemented by 14 other essential food items like pulses and edible oil and this is now become an obligation for the govt to supply these,” Saha said.
On the food security allowance, he pointed out, “Food security allowance by the state governments in case of failure to supply food grains is a dangerous proposition and it is not desirable. This will bound create chaos and unstable situation for the families who will be provided allowance instead of food grains. In what situation they will be completely exploited by the market. Therefore, this should not be thought of doing”. (UNI)