Delhi government today asked the Centre to increase the number of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act in the national capital to 80 lakh.
Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain placed the demand in a meeting with Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today, saying that the targeted figure of 72.78 lakh was achieved last year in September itself.
The existing ceiling, arrived at on the basis of census figures of 2011, was inadequate to provide cheap food grains to all the targeted sections of society, Hussain told Paswan.
"The national capital receives a lot of migratory population from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal every year and majority of such population being poor becomes eligible for the benefits under Food Security Law," Hussain said.
He emphasised that given these circumstances, the Delhi Government is in a pressing need for enhancement of the targeted figures of the beneficiaries under Food Security Law.
"Paswan endorsed the concern of Delhi Government and assured that the matter will be examined and all possible help in this regard will be extended, within the existing provisions," an official statement said.
