PAC asks Centre, states to ensure 100% coverage under food law

The Public Accounts Committee has asked the central and state governments to achieve 100 per cent coverage of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act and set up independent food commissions in all states in the next three months.

The law, which was passed in 2013, is now being implemented in all 36 states/UTs covering 80.57 crore beneficiaries out of the total estimate of 81.34 crore, thus bringing the coverage to 99.05 per cent, the committee said in a report presented in Parliament Friday on preparedness for implementation of the Act by Union Food Ministry.

"In a populous country like India, even 1 per cent of the poor and weaker sections translate into a big number. In the opinion of the committee, the states cannot keep such a section deprived of food security which is the very basis of the Act," the panel observed.

The committee "in unequivocal terms" recommend that all-out efforts should be made under strict monitoring of the ministry so as to achieve 100 per cent coverage of the beneficiaries, it added.

Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government provides 5 kg of wheat and rice per month at Rs 2-3 per kg.

The beneficiaries under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) will get 35 kg per households per month.

Stating that 99.22 crore beneficiaries were covered under the earlier public distribution system (PDS), the panel said the ministry should make all efforts to ensure rightful targeting of beneficiaries and recommended necessary steps to bring all eligible beneficiaries of the NFSA under PDS immediately.

That apart, the PAC pointed out that maternity benefits under the Act have not been implemented in all States/UTs and asked the ministry to take all tenable measures in consultation with the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development and States/UTs concerned.

The committee also emphasised on the need to have adequate transportation and storage capacity for foodgrains. It suggested a national contingency plan for procurement, movement and storage of foodgrains for unforseen events like natural calamities.

The PAC asked the ministry to initiate a pilot project to minimise the cost of procurement, transportation and distribution cost of foodgrains. Private parties should also be invited to take part in this pilot.

The committee asked the food ministry to complete end-to-end the computerisation of PDS operations.

On food commissions, the PAC said that only 16 states have constituted independent state food commissions while six are in the process of setting up. It asked the ministry to issue necessary directions to the States/UTs concerned and ensure establishment of fully functional independent food commissions within 3 months of presentation of report in Parliament.