The Delhi Government intends to cover the poorest of the poor with the Centre’s National Food Security Ordinance, which will be implemented in two phases in the Capital. Those eligible are likely to get foodgrain at notified rates from September 1.
In the first phase, all ration card-holders will be covered while the second phase will be taken up as soon as possible and may overlap phase I activities. A meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday decided the Delhi Government would bring in a Cabinet proposal for implementation of the food security scheme, for which the Food & Civil Supplies Department has presented a detailed roadmap.
According to the department’s draft note, phase I would cover 32.37 lakh persons or 5,21,737 families under below poverty line (BPl), Antyodaya Anna Yojna (AAY), Jhuggi Ration Card (JRC) and Resettlement Colony Ration Card (RCRC) categories.At present, there are 1,03,421 families with AAY category ration card-holders while 2,62,743 families are BPl card-holders. About 1,15,867 families have RCRC ration cards while 40,506 families have JRC.
Above poverty line (APl) families with stamped ration cards will continue getting ration according to existing norms and rates, as per Ordinance proviso, till review of their ration cards in phase II.An official said, “Ration cards will be printed afresh in a phased manner. The eldest female will be made head of household, as prescribed in the Ordinance. The card will be titled National Food Security Card.”
The household head will soon be called in by the Food Security Officer for her photograph. A copy of Aadhaar cards of all family members will be required, along with an affidavit that the family doesn’t fall in any of the exclusion categories. The Aadhaar numbers will be printed in the card and used as tool to avoid duplication,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.
The government will also give preference to residents of slums, resettlement colonies of F, G and H categories, residents of notified village abadis in rural villages, homeless, household with disabled people, household with people who suffer from debilitating and ailments like HIV, TB and leprosy; single women living as dependent or recognised as head of household, occupationally vulnerable groups like rag pickers, unskilled construction workers, porters, casual and daily wagers, cycle rickshaw driver and porters.
Those having four-wheel vehicles, a house or land in Delhi or any regular colony and or any member of her family paying income tax will not be eligible for the food security programme.According to sources, there is also possibility that the Delhi Government may merge Annashree Yojna with the food security programme. Under the Annashree scheme, monthly cash subsidy of Rs 600 are being transferred directly into Aadhaar-linked bank account of the senior-most female member of the families who do not get ration from PDS.
The food security programme will give the nation’s three-fourth population the right to get 5 kg of foodgrain every month at highly subsidised rates of Rs 1-3 per kg. Each kg of rice will be supplied at Rs 3 while wheat and coarse cereals will be given at Rs 2 and Re 1 per kg, respectively.