Centre, Delhi govt spar over 'doorstep delivery of ration' scheme

The Centre and Delhi government are all set for another round of confrontation, this time over the latter’s ‘doorstep delivery of ration’ scheme, which plans to use subsidised food grains provided under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
 
The Centre said this was not permissible under the law. 
 
It, however, added that it will have no objection if the Delhi government comes out with a separate scheme without mixing the elements of the NFSA. Earlier, sources in the Delhi government had claimed that the Centre had stopped the scheme, scheduled to roll out later this month.
 

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was earlier scheduled to launch the scheme by delivering ration to the doorsteps of 100 households in the Seemapuri area on March 25.

 
The move was seen as another attempt to curtail the powers of the Delhi government, close to the introduction of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Lok Sabha, which seeks to give overarching powers to the Lieutenant Governor.
 
The ruling AAP has vociferously opposed the Bill, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying that the struggle against the legislation will continue.
 
Meanwhile, the Centre said that under the Food Act, passed by the Parliament in 2013, the Centre provides foodgrains to states for distribution to 81.35 crore people via the public distribution system (PDS) at a highly subsidised rate of Rs 1-3 per kg.

 
In a letter written to the Delhi government, Joint Secretary of the Union Food Ministry, S Jagannathan, said subsidised foodgrains being allocated by the central government for distribution under the NFSA “cannot be used for the operationalisation of any state-specific/ other scheme under different name/nomenclature other than the NFSA, as the same is not permissible under the Act.”      
 
The official referred to the Delhi government’s February 20 notification issued for implementation of a state-specific scheme ‘Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana’  for doorstep delivery of ration under PDS.    
 
While states may like to enhance the distribution of subsidised foodgrains, including additional entitlements, more subsidies etc, the “nomenclature from NFSA to any local state scheme may be misinterpreted by the beneficiaries as state benefit and may give rise to confusion regarding their rights under the Act,” he said.    

 
However, the Centre will have no objection if a separate scheme is made by the state government without mixing the elements of the NFSA foodgrains, he said, and requested the Delhi government to follow the norms and provisions of the NFSA in their rightful spirit.  
 
According to the ministry’s data, about 41.33 lakh tonnes of foodgrains have been allocated under the NFSA to the Delhi government till February of the 2020-21 fiscal for distribution via PDS. Out of this, the offtake has been 40.97 lakh tonnes.