In an attempt to tackle the loopholes still prevalent in the Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-Day meal (MDM), quality of food being supplied to various Anganwadi Centers including other major components of National Food Security Act, the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) will organise a monthly meet with the ward councilors to check the status and coverage of food security scheme.
“The effort will curb the leakage rate and will also ensure implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013 in a better way in different wards. A monthly meet with the ward councilors over this specific issue will be conducted from next month. All necessary instructions have been issued to the ward councilors regarding the meeting. For the first time such an initiative has been considered by any civic body here,” said Municipal Commissioner, Manoj Kumar.
Meanwhile, covering all 53 wards of the State’s biggest Urban Local Body (ULB), the senior officials during the workshop organised here on Monday instructed the ward councilors to prepare a data of their respective wards covering inputs like number of Anganwadi centers, BPL card holders including the frequency of supply of rations.
The workshop organised under the aegis of Jharkhand State Commission Food Commission focused on the basic elements of the National Food Security Act – 2013 like laws, constitution of ward level committee, holding meeting in every three months at each ward, organising programme at a regular interval at the ward level, adopting innovative approaches to popularise government schemes, encouraging public participation including facilitating the State Government in increasing the coverage area of food security.
“The aim of conducting a regular meeting with the ward councilors is to resolve the glitches and ensure that maximum BPL families or beneficiaries eligible under the food security scheme are covered. Suggestions including grievances received from the ward councilors will be addressed in a stimulated time. Also, several issues like starvation deaths; leakage etc can be addressed easily. Checklists for constitution of Ward Vigilance Committees have been provided to all the ward councilors. Bogus card holders can be also countered through this step,” said President, Jharkhand State Food Commission, Sudhir Prasad.