Food Security Act News

The Congress-led UDF opposition staged a walkout in the Assembly today, in protest against alleged lapses in functioning of Public Distribution System in the state even as the government said ration items under National Food Security Act would be distributed from November 14.

The Supreme Court on Monday said it was incumbent upon the Central government to ensure that the National Food Security Act, 2013, was implemented both in letter and spirit by the state governments, and it asked the Centre to frame model rules under the Act.

On a day the Supreme Court rapped the Centre on non-compliance of the National Food Security Act by certain drought-hit states, the Food Ministry on Wednesday said its implementation essentially is a "state subject".

Two lakh ration cards have been cancelled within the last two months in Jharkhand, in comparison to just 800 in the last three years.

Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday said a team will be sent to Bundelkhand to look into the alleged death of a dalit due to hunger in Banda district in Uttar Pradesh.

Hearing a public interest litigation, the court expressed concern over the situation in drought-hit states.

The Food Security Act is set to be implemented across Uttar Pradesh from Tuesday, an official said.

Hitting out at the Gujarat government over implementation of Food Security Act, Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel today claimed that it is yet to "complete" the process of identification of beneficiaries under the Act.

The Centre has called Wednesday a meeting of Food Secretaries of 25 states/UTs, which have not implemented the National Food Security Act even though Parliament had passed the legislation more than a year ago.

Eighteen lakh households have been found eligible to get foodgrains at highly subsidized rates of Rs 2/ kg for wheat and Rs 3/ kg for rice under the Food Security Act.

"The deadline for implementation of National Food Security Act expires on July 4. The government has decided to extend the deadline by three months," Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said.

Presently, only 5 states have implemented the Food Security Act and 6 states have implemented the Act partially.