The State Government on Monday expressed its resolve to provide food security to around 80 per cent of the population by implementing Food Security Act in spirit and letter. Food and Civil Supplies (FCS) Minister Saryu Roy said that the government is preparing in “election mode” which implies readiness before the appointed date–July 1.
The Minister confided that the machinery is almost ready for implementing the act in Jharkhand and whatever left in the direction of the system of delivery will be completed before the deadline set for the programme to end chronic hunger and poverty.
“State Government has taken the act as a challenge. We have distributed survey reports prepared by the central government in all blocks, districts and Jharkhand fulfills all norms. We are undertaking the job in election mode and satisfactory progress has been made so far,” said Roy, while addressing a press conference at MDI building.
The act envisages that the beneficiaries will get 5 kg per person per month of rice or wheat — 25 kg per family on an average—and Jharkhand will need 1.40 metric tonnes of wheat and rice to fulfill the obligation. Around 87 per cent of the State’s rural population and 60 per cent urban inhabitants will be covered under the act. Sources in the FCS department said that the State’s share of subsidised food-grains will increase by 68 per cent even as the Centre will bear an additional subsidy for the food-deficit State with the substantially higher levels of malnourishment.
Notably, the act entails verification of beneficiaries, end-to-end computerization of public distribution system (PDS), and distribution of handheld devices to a PDS dealer besides a lot of pre-implementation works before going full steam ahead on the provisions of the act. Although the Minister could not present statistics on a number of parameters related to successful implementation of the act, he vowed that transparency will be ensured in the distribution infrastructure. The department of FCS is also likely to begin distribution of fresh ration cards prepared to identify beneficiaries of the scheme.
“New ration cards will be distributed from June 20. Department’s website will be ready very soon and everything will be transparent. An electronic weighing machine will also be installed from godown to stores,” maintained Roy.
The delivery system will be monitored through Global Positioning System and information regarding movement of goods will be passed to the next stake holder in the supply chain through SMS (short messaging text).
Meanwhile, the Minister also announced that the government will also provide 2-kg sugar in the pack of 1-kg each to the beneficiaries and also expressed that the government will begin off take of paddy from the month of July however the Minimum Support Price has not been reviewed for the purchase the crop.