Gujarat govt seeks extension to roll out Food Security Act

The Gujarat government has requested the Centre to extend the deadline for rolling out the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

"I have requested Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan to extend the deadline for rolling out NFSA till March 2016," said, state Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma after meeting Paswan in Delhi.

"The Gujarat government has urged the Centre to wait till identification of beneficiaries is completed," he said.

The employees and staff of the state government have been working day and night for completing the digitised beneficiary database. They have completed 25 per cent job, and as it requires minute details of the beneficiary, "it takes longer time and that is why we have requested the Centre to extend the deadline till March 2016," he said.

"Paswan has assured to consider our plea," he said.

Prior to this, Paswan had given six months' more time to the states for rolling out the NFSA. The deadline is to end in October.

The NFSA can be implemented only after the digitised beneficiary database is placed in public domain.

With the Ministry of Food setting October 2015 as the deadline for rolling out the National Food Security Act, many state governments, including Gujarat, have urged the Centre to wait till identification of beneficiaries is completed.