Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna launched the Food Security Ordinance 2013 at the Town Hall in Dehradun on Tuesday.
Sixty-two per cent of the State’s population will directly benefit from this step, claimed Bahuguna, adding that the scheme will be instrumental in combating hunger and malnutrition in the country. For effective execution of this scheme, a Food Security Commission will be established. On its implementation in the disaster-hit villages, those affected will also benefit.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also distributed ration kits to 100 women beneficiaries. “Uttarakhand is among the states that had chosen to launch the ambitious scheme on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister, the late Rajiv Gandhi,” he added. Stating that the Union Government had taken a historic step by initiating the scheme, he said that it was aimed at benefiting primarily the villagers and the poor people of the country. The poor would get five kilos of food grain comprising three kilos of rice and two kilos of wheat per person for Rs 3 and Rs 2 per kg respectively.
The CM said that presently BPl and Antyodaya card holders had been included in the scheme, but the remaining APl section having annual income Rs 15,000 would also benefit. From September 2, the Ministers-in-charge would roll out the scheme in other districts. Bahuguna informed that of the Rs 12 lakh crore budget of the Union Government, Rs 4 lakh crore was being spent on people’s welfare. He asserted that inflation was of global concern in the present day and prices were rising because of international pressures.
Reminding the gathering that the State was passing through a crisis triggered by the recent disaster, he asserted that the disaster affected villages would benefit from the Food Security scheme. launching the scheme on Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary, he recalled that the former PM was responsible for bringing the age of computerisation in India, reducing the voting age to 18 years and other decisions.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pritam Singh said that with the start of this scheme of the Union Government, the poor would now get cheap rations. Strict instructions had been given to prevent black marketing. Some 61.94 lakh people in the State would benefit. Antyodaya beneficiaries would continue to get 35 kilos of food grain as before. Government had also decided to provide 35 kilos of food grain to the 3.7 lakh BPl families in the state.
The increased cost would be borne by the state government. Under the scheme, the ration card would be issued in the name of the senior most woman in the family. Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli stressed on the need for acting on fake BPl cards to ensure that the benefit of this scheme reaches the intended beneficiaries.
Among those present on the occasion were Disaster Management minister Yashpal Arya, Cabinet ministers and MlAs. Earlier, CM Vijay Bahuguna paid floral tribute at the statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the Rajiv Gandhi multi-purpose complex at Dispensary Road.