Poor's number soar in food secure

Food Security Act to add another 800,000 poor people to Chhattisgarh's statistics

Chhattisgarh Food Security Act, 2012 would ensure access to adequate quantity of food to the people but at the same time it would add another 800,000 "poor people" to the state's statistics.

The state had scored over other states in the country to enact the Food Security Act that was passed on December 21, 2012 by the State Assembly unopposed. The Act ensured "access to adequate quantity of food and other requirements of good nutrition to the people of the State at affordable prices."

The Act divides households into three groups namely Antodaya, Priority, and General. The first two had been categorized as "poor people" entitled to get 35 kg of rice every month at a nominal price. At present, 3.4 million families have been registered in the Antodaya and Priority categories in Chhattisgarh.

"With the Chhattisgarh Food Security Act, 2012 coming into effect, 800,000 new families are likely to be included in the list of Antodaya and Priority categories," officials with the food department said. This would take the number of "poor families" enrolled in Chhattisgarh to 4.2 million.

The officials said another 800,000 families would be included in the general category in the final list of ration card that would be prepared in May. With this, the number of beneficiaries availing the benefits of the Chhattisgarh Food Security Act would increase to 5 Million.

The new initiative will put a burden of Rs. 2311 crore on the state exchequer. The act will not cover those who are income tax payees, own over 4 hectares of irrigated or 8 hectares of non-irrigated land in non-scheduled areas and who are liable to pay property tax in urban areas.

The state government had however started the preparation to implement the Food Security Act at the earliest. At the onset, it would launch a war-footing campaign to prepare new ration card for the three categories of beneficiary.

The process would start on April 10 and conclude on April 30 to ensure that cards were distributed to the people before May 31.

The Antodaya card holder would get 35 kg of rice for Re 1 every month while the priority card holders would be entitled for 35 kg foodgrain at a nominal price of Rs 2. The general category card holder would get 15 kg of food grains (rice for Rs 9.50 a kilogram and wheat for the price fixed by the government).