Jammu and Kashmir government has increased the ration scale under National Food Security Act from 5 to 7 kgs per head from this April, a move aimed at benefiting around 74.13 lakh persons.
The State Administrative Council (SAC) has ordered increase of the ration scale from 5 kgs to 7 kgs per head in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Priority Sector House Holds (PHSS) category to provide relief to majority of people across the state, an official spokesperson said.
The State Administrative Council, which met here yesterday under the Chairmanship of Governor N N Vohra, accorded sanction to the additional foodgrains at 2 Kg per head, over and above the NFSA entitlement of 5 Kg per head, for all 17.85 lakh individuals in the BPLcategory upto a family size of six, he said.
The additional 2 kg per head will be priced at the highly subsidised rate of Rs 12 per kg of rice and Rs 10 per kg of wheat.
Apart from availability of 35 kgs of food-grains, a BPL family, which was earlier incurring a monthly expenditure of Rs 224 on the purchase of food-grains, will now be spending only Rs 195, he said.
Similarly, a five member non-BPL family in the priority category, incurring monthly expenditure of Rs 350 earlier will now be spending only Rs 275, the spokesperson said.
It was also decided that the additional provision of foodgrains will be made available at 2 kg per head, over and above the NFSA entitlement of 5 kg per head, in respect of all the 42.51 lakh individuals belonging to the PHH category, he said.
This, additional 2 kg per head will be priced on subsidised rates, i.E. Rs 20 per kg of rice and Rs 13 per kg for wheat, the spokesperson said.
SAC further approved availability of additional quantity of food-grains at 2 kg per head, in respect of 45 lakh individuals under the Non Priority Household (NPHH) category, which will have to shell out Rs 25 per kg for rice and Rs 18 per kg for wheat, he said.
The Spokesperson said 13.77 lakh people in the Antyodaya
Anna Yojana (AAY) category will continue to receive rations at the scale of Rs 35 kg per family at the NFSA rate of Rs 2 per kg of wheat and Rs 3 per kg of rice.
With a view to implementing the above decisions from the April 1, 2016, the SAC directed the Finance department to immediately provide additional resources to the extent of Rs 105 crore to Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department (CAPD).
The Finance department shall also provide an annual "Trading Account" facility of Rs 630 crore for upfront procurement of additional foodgrains for immediate and efficient implementation of the latest provisions, the spokesperson said.
BPL families having a strength upto 6 members, had expressed reservations with regard to the availability and scale of ration since the entitlement under NFSA is pegged at 5 kg per soul.
The spokesperson said the state government has decided to go beyond the NFSA framework, by way of supplementation of the Act's entitlements in the priority category (PHH), particularly in respect of BPL households, to address such concerns notwithstanding the obtaining resource position of the state.
Further, with a view to addressing concerns relating to availability of food-grains for those who are not a part of PHH, SAC directed that food-grains at the scale 7 kgs per head should be made available to 45 lakh consumers in the NPHH category as well.
The spokesperson said that SAC directed CAPD to finalise all necessary arrangements to ensure that 'atta' (flour) was distributed in place of wheat wherever required.
Recounting the salient features of NFSA, he said the Act has also covered a significant additional population of about 22 lakh people who have been included in the rationee population for the first time in the state, thus increasing the total coverage from 99 lakh to 119 lakh persons.
While the total quantity of foodgrains being made available to the state government remains at 7.5 lakh MTs under NFSA regime, SAC will take up the matter with the Centre for augmenting the present allocation, particularly in view of the typical geo-climatic conditions in J&K, inaccessibility of a large number of areas and low agricultural productivity.
The Governor will be personally talking to the Union Food Ministry on the matter, he added.
