The Delhi Government is planning to launch the ambitious food security programme on August 20, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The State Government has constituted a task force comprising two MPs — East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit and West Delhi MP Mahabal Mishra —three MlAs — former Delhi Assembly Speaker Subhash Chopra, Congress legislative Party's chief whip Kanwar Karan Singh and Delhi Waqf Board chairman Mateen Ahmed — to formulate a roadmap for immediate implementation of food security ordinance in the national Capital.
Senior officials of health, education, family welfare and food and civil supplies departments would also be members of the task force on food security scheme. In a related development, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit called a high level meeting on Tuesday to chalk out a roadmap for immediate implementation of the ordinance.
Top sources said that Dikshit conveyed her Government's decision to launch the scheme first to the Union Food Minister KV Thomas at a meeting. Delhi will be the first State in the country to roll out the scheme. Delhi's Food and Civil Supplies Minister Haroon Yusuf also accompanied Dikshit to the meeting with Thomas.
The Delhi Government had launched Annashri Yojna, a major food security programme, in December last year, under which monthly cash subsidy of `600 are being transferred directly into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of the senior-most female member of the families, who do not get ration from Public Distribution System (PDS).
The Delhi Government had earlier written to the Union Food Ministry, opposing the food security bill, stating that the food security would be a flop if carried out through PDS. President Pranab Mukherjee signed the ordinance on Friday.