Maharashtra to launch food security scheme from Feb 1

The Maharashtra government will implement the United Progressive Alliance government’s flagship food security scheme from February 1 to cover 77 million of the total 112.3 million people in the state. The state government has fixed income criteria for the scheme.

In rural areas, persons with an annual income ranging between Rs 15,001 and Rs 45,000 are eligible, while in urban areas, beneficiaries’ income should be within the range of Rs 15,001 to Rs 59,000.

The Congress-NCP government in the state hopes to gain political mileage in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections.

The 77 million people will get wheat at Rs 2 per kg, rice at Rs 3 per kg and coarse grain at R1 1 per kg. Nearly 400,000 ton food grains worth Rs 800 crore will be distributed to the beneficiaries per month, said state food and civil supplies minister Anil Deshmukh.

Currently, 17.7 million beneficiaries, who are currently covered under the public distribution system, will not be included in the FSS. However, the government will spend Rs 1,200 crore annually to provide them wheat Rs 7.20 per kg and rice at Rs 9.60 per kg.

Deshmukh said that the FSS will be implemented in the most transparent manner and added that all the 21.3 million ration cards have been digitized with self declared income and signature by the beneficiaries.

Further, Deshmukh said that the government has already launched an ambitious plan to construct 611 go-downs to store 1.35 million ton food grains. The project envisages total investment of Rs 2,000 crore.