Implementation of NFSA in J&K under consideration: Minister

The implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Jammu and Kashmir is under consideration of the government.
Replying to a question by MLA G M Saroori, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD), Vikar Rasool detailed the government's activities under the Act during the Assembly session today.
Based on the 2011-12 NSSO data on consumption expenditure and as per Planning Commission calculations, 63.55 per cent people of rural areas and 47.1 per cent people of urban areas would be provided subsidised food grains, which worked out to 74.13 lakh persons, he said.
The CA&PD department was in the process of obtaining basic inputs in order to arrive at reasonable criteria for inclusion/exclusion of households to be covered under the Act, he said.

The CA&PD department was providing ration to erstwhile Doda district based on the 2001 census as the Union Food Ministry was not allocating the food grains quota on the basis of 2011 census, he said.
Responding to Saroori, he said 9,988.42 quintals of food grains and 953 quintals of sugar were being supplied monthly to Inderwal constituency on the basis of projected population of census 2001.
In reply to the supplementaries raised by some members, the Minister said the Act would be implemented in a stipulated time in the state, adding that the Centre in principle had agreed to provide ration for the balance 40 lakh families.

The Minister said that directions have been issued to concerned authorities for ensuring timely distribution of food grains, especially in far-off and hilly areas, and it is being ensured that each ration card holder is getting fixed quota of ration every month.