The ordinance on food security would help battle malnutrition and hunger and it should not be opposed just for the sake of opposition, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said today.
"In Assam, about 2.25 crore people from around 40 lakh families will benefit from the scheme and we will have no difficulty in implementing the scheme as we are self-sufficient on the food-front," the Chief Minister said while launching a state-wide promotional campaign to showcase the centre's Food Security Scheme at grassroots level.
Gogoi said that the scheme was the dream of top party leadership, including UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
"There was a time when we had to import foodgrains from the US but now our country was self-sufficient on the food front, thanks to the hard work of our farmers," he said.
Gogoi also said the day was not far when the country would see shelter becoming a right after the Right to Education and Right to Food and sought cooperation for smooth implementation of the Food Security Scheme in letter and spirit.
The launch coincides with the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and "we will roll out the Food Security Scheme from November 19 coinciding with the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi," the chief minister said.
Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Nazrul Islam said the scheme aimed to cover about 2.25 crore people across the state. From the rural areas, around 84.17 per cent of the people will be benefited while in urban areas it will be about 60.35 per cent.
