Mehbooba rolls out MMSFES after her father's name

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today rolled out Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) as a supplement to National Food Security Act (NFSA) to ensure adequate food safety under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
The unique food security scheme devised to supplement the additional food grains to the people and christened as MMSFES in tune with the vision of the former Chief Minister was rolled out by Mehbooba at a function here.
In Jammu, the scheme was simultaneously rolled out by Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh in presence of Speaker of Legislative Assembly Kavinder Gupta.
The decision to roll out MMSFES to supplement NFSA was taken by the state cabinet headed by Mehbooba on April 11.

"The new scheme launched to supplement NFSA would guarantee food to the people, especially the underprivileged, through a proper public distribution system. It will effectively address the food needs of the people," Mehbooba said and expressed hope that the scheme would do well as it has been launched on an auspicious day in the holy month of Ramadan.
She said under MMSFES families with one to six souls, falling under Priority Households (PHH) and Non-Priority Households (NPHH), will get additional food grains over and above NFSA entitlement at the uniform scale of five kgs per soul per ration card except for AAY families who are entitled to receive 35 kgs ration per family irrespective of the family size.

"Nearly 86 lakh souls comprising 21,72,585 families will be covered with assured food grains under MMSFES," the Chief Minister, adding under NFSA government is already providing subsidised rations to 119.13 lakh souls against 99 lakh souls in old Public Distribution System (PDS).

Mehbooba said with the launch of MMSFES government has incorporated every section of the society under food security.
She urged women to take full benefit of NFSA which entitles every pregnant woman and lactating mother meals free of cost during pregnancy and six months after childbirth.
Stressing the need for providing quality food grains to the people, the Chief Minister asked the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) minister to ensure no compromise is made in the quality of food grains under the public distribution system.

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Mehbooba said multifaceted efforts are being made by the government to raise productivity in agriculture sector to increase food-grain production in the state.
She urged agriculture scientists to develop means for improvement in both production and productivity and suggested to focus on soil, water and pesticide management.
"Agriculturists need to be convinced and motivated to adopt well tested technologies with adequate safeguards to boost agriculture productivity for which the state hugely depends on imports," she said.
The Chief Minister suggested adoption of area-specific interventions for increasing production and productivity in agriculture sector and evolving approaches which are suitable for the varied geo-climatic conditions through continuing research and extension interventions.

CAPD Minister Choudhary Zulfkar said with the implementation of MMSFES there will be an extra burden of Rs 358 crore on the state exchequer per annum.
"The food grains shall be procured from Food Corporation of India (FCI) and all the trucks will be fitted with GPRS tracking system to monitor their movement on real time basis," he said, adding the rate lists would be displayed at all sale outlets and fair price shops to ensure transparency.
Jammu and Kashmir is the first state in the country that has launched its own scheme to supplement NFSA which was implemented in the state in February this year.