Chhattisgarh adds 'nutrition' to its Food Act

The Act guarantees free nutritious meals or take-home rations in anganwadis, schools and other institutions

Chhattisgarh government had amended its Food Security Act 2012 to add 'nutrition' as it had been providing nutritious items to the beneficiaries under the scheme.

State's food minister Punnulal Mohile on Tuesday tabled the amendment bill in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly that was passed without any discussion. The new Act would now be called "Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act, 2012". The Chhattisgarh Food Security Bill 2012 was passed on December 21, 2012 to ensure "access to adequate quantity of food and other requirements of good nutrition to the people of the state, at affordable prices, at all times to live a life of dignity". Under the Act, about 90 per cent of the population of Chhattisgarh will have public distribution system entitlements, mostly under the priority and antyodaya categories, entitled to 35 kg of rice per month at a token price of Rs 2 and Rs 1 (Rs 2 for BPL and Rs 1 for antyodaya), besides 2 kg of pulses (chana) at Rs 5 per kg and free iodised salt.

"Since the scheme would provide chana, dal and iodised salt that have rich nutritious values, the Act had been amended to include nutrition security also," Chief Minister Raman Singh said. The Act also guarantees free nutritious meals or take-home rations in anganwadis, schools and other institutions for children below the age of six, school children, pregnant and lactating women, destitute persons and other vulnerable groups.