Hooda asks Cong workers to popularise Food Security scheme

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today asked Congress workers to popularise the Food Security scheme so that not a single eligible beneficiary is left out.
"The UPA government has given the right to food...Such a big decision was taken under the leadership of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," Hooda told reporters here after attending a seminar organised on Food Security Bill.
He said all party members were of the view that this policy should be extensively popularised.
"Hardly anywhere in the world such a decision has been taken. Haryana is among the few states to implement this Bill," he said.

Hooda said earlier, there were 12.84 lakh families getting foodgrains at subsidised rates, including 2.72 lakh under Antyodya Anna Yojana (AAY), 4.78 lakh of Central Below Poverty Line (CBPL) and 5.38 lakh beneficiaries of State Below Poverty Line.
Beneficiaries of AAY were getting 35 kg grains per month at a rate of Rs 2.12 per kg whereas CBPL beneficiaries were getting grains at a rate of Rs 5 per kg, Hooda said.

After implementation of this scheme, 72 lakh new beneficiaries would be covered under it, he said.
Now, over 1.26 crore people in the state would get food grains through Food Security Bill, he said.

The Chief Minister said apart from this, the state government has implemented 'Dal Roti Scheme' under which pulses would be given at a rate of Rs 20 per kg.
He said the beneficiaries would be given quota of two months pulses together. For this, the state government would have to bear an additional burden of Rs 150 crore, he said.
The Chief Minister said the number of beneficiaries has increased from 59 lakh to 90 lakh in rural areas and from 15 lakh to 36 lakh in urban areas.
About half the population of the state would benefit from this scheme, he said.

Hooda said children between the age group of 6 to 14 years would get food under Mid Day Meal scheme in Aanganwadi centres.
He said the beneficiaries were being identified in the state and so far 80 per cent beneficiaries have been identified, while the rest would be identified soon.