Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter to the Prime Minister expressing serious concern with the National Food Security Ordinance (NFSO). According to Modi, the Ordinance does not fulfill the basic objectives of food security.
Pointing out major deficiencies, Modi said that in the Ordinance unworkable statutory responsibilities have been given to Central and State Governments. BJP's campaign committee chief mentioned that strangely, number of beneficiaries had been fixed in the Ordinance without specifying eligibility criteria and fix individual entitlements. "Between different States, there could be wide regional disparities."
Even the Standing Committee of Parliament in January 2013 recommended that the Union Government should formulate eligibility criteria in consultation with the State Governments, he said, adding that sadly, the Central Government has chosen to ignore the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee. "Ordinance proposes to reduce the entitlement of BPl families from 35 kg per family to only 25 kg per average family of five persons. This cannot be the objective of any food security legislation which reduces the entitlement of those who have been identified as being below the poverty line," said the CM.
He said that the proposed entitlement of 5 kg per month per person implies the supply of only 165 gm per person per day. "Persons involved in labour intensive activities require about 2,500 calories per day. As 100 gm of food grain gives about 350 calorie, 165 gm would provide only 500 calories per day which is hardly 20 per cent of one's daily calorie requirements," mentioned in the letter. He said in the letter that poor families have been made 'food insecure' through this Ordinance. He requested the Prime Minister to call a meeting of Chief Ministers as it concerns both Centre and State Governments with huge implications.