Chhattisgarh amends food security law

As per the amended rule, state governemnt will provide additional foodgrain to extra member

The Chhattisgarh Food Security and Nutrition Security Act 2012 had been amended to accommodate additional members in the family.

The Act that was passed by the state legislative assembly in December 2012, each ration card holder was entitled to get 35 kilograms of foodgrains at a subsidized rate of Rs 1 per kilogram. About 4.2 million families in the state had been covered under the Act.

The state government’s effort had a flaw---the card holder with seven members in the family was entitled to get the same quality of 35 kg of foodgrains as the cardholder with five members was getting. The card holder was forced to purchase foodgrains from the market to meet the demand in the family.

The state government had amended the act and decided to provide additional foodgrains to the cardholder having extra members. “Though the act was amended in February, it was not widely publicized and the beneficiaries were unaware of additional provision,” a state government spokesperson said, adding that a campaign had been launched to inform the beneficiaries about the new provision.

The ration card holder with more than seven members in the family would be entitled to receive additional 5 kg of food grains under the act. Similarly, the family of eight would receive 40 kg food grains while family of nine would be entitled for 45 kg food grain.  

The Food and Civil Supply Department had issued a circular to all the district collectors instructing to promote and publicize the provision of 5 kg food grains for each additional member in the family of more than seven every month. The district authorities had also been instructed for verifying the ration cards and display the final list of eligible and ineligible beneficiaries at the respective fair price shops.