More people added to Food Security Programme

Delhi government has added 4,15,422 persons for providing food security benefits under ambitious Food Security Programme.
These households will be issued new ration cards starting from July 1 which will be dispatched to them by speed post.
The process of adding people started in July last year and is still continuing, said the Commissioner (Food and Supplies) SS Yadav.
As per the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, the household is to be headed by the eldest female of the house. With no female above 18 years present in the household, it can be headed by the eldest male member of the family.

Yadav informed that of the 1.20 lakhs households which have been issued new ration cards, 1,75,510 households are headed by females while males are the head of family in 2,476 households. 14 households are headed by a transgender.
Delhi is the first state to launch the food security programme in August, 2013 and 32.39 lakhs people started getting benefits from September 1 last year.

The department plans to add about 10 lakh persons every month till it reaches the target of 72.78 lakhs, Yadav said.
"The department has received applications from 15 lakhs households under the Act. The department has deployed over 1400 people for field verification of the applicants," said Yadav.

The eligible households are entitled to receive foodgrains at highly subsidized rates of Rs 2 per kg for wheat and Rs 3 per kg for rice.
Families under the Antodaya Ann Yojana get 35 kg of foodgrains every month while the other households which are called "Priority Households" receive 5 kg foodgrains (4 kg wheat and 1 kg rice) per person per month.