Scope for adding 79 lakh more beneficiaries under food law: Govt in RS
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States can add 79 lakh more beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act that provides legal entitlement of foodgrains, the Centre said on Tuesday.The National Food Security Act (NFSA), which was passed by the Parliament in 2013, provides for coverage of up to 75 per cent of rural population and up to 50 per cent of urban population.This covers about two-thirds of the total population of the country, which comes to 81.35 crore based on Census 2011, the government said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha."At present, against the intended coverage of 81.35 crore, the States/UTs have identified only 80.56 crore persons. Still, there is a scope of identification of 0.79 crore more beneficiaries under the NFSA," said Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.She informed that Section 9 of the Act provides that the total number of persons to be covered in rural and urban areas of the State should be calculated on the basis of the population estimates as per the published Census."Therefore, any revision in coverage shall be possible only after the relevant data of next population Census is published," the minister said.She also mentioned that States are responsible for identification of beneficiaries and issuance of their ration cards "States are undertaking updation of their beneficiary database so that ineligible ration cards get deleted and better targeting of rightful beneficiaries is ensured. Thus, deletion of ineligible beneficiaries and addition of eligible beneficiaries under the Act is a continuous process," the minister asserted.Under the NFSA or food law Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households that constitute the poorest of the poor are legally entitled to receive 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month and priority households are entitled to 5 kg per person per month.At present, the Centre is providing free rations (wheat and rice) to all beneficiaries.
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