: With the city’s quota for food security cards long being over, the Delhi government has demanded that the Centre increase the number of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act.
Under the Food Security Act, 2013, the Capital is entitled to a limit of about 72.8 lakh beneficiaries, which, according to the Delhi government, was attained six months ago. State Food and Supplies Minister Imran Hussain has claimed of having repeatedly pursued the matter of extending the limit by about 10 per cent with the Department of Food and Public Distribution at the Centre, but to no avail.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr Hussain said, “Delhi’s limit of distributing food security cards got over by September last year itself. We have demanded that the Centre increase Delhi’s quota to 80 lakh from the existing 72,77,995 beneficiaries. This limit has remained unchanged for the past 12 years.”
Distribution of fresh ration cards or even accepting applications for the same was ceased by the Food and Supplies Department in November.
The minister further said that he had written to Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan twice on the matter. “The first letter I wrote was in December last year. The latest one was written over a week ago, in which I sought time for a meeting with Mr. Paswan. Extending the cap is necessary in view of the increasing population of the city,” he added.
The Union minister had replied to Mr. Hussain’s first letter wherein he had denied making room for any such provision, but had given an offer of providing wheat and rice at controlled rates. The State minister, however, denied the offer saying that the prices being offered were too high as compared to Delhi’s ration rate of Rs. 2 per kg for wheat and Rs. 3 per kg for rice.
FSOs on strict vigil
In another development, Mr. Hussain has directed Food Security Officers (FSOs) to keep strict vigil on the city’s fair price shops (FPSs). In a meeting convened on Wednesday, the food and supplies minister warned the city’s FSOs against action if irregularities are observed in FPSs falling under their jurisdiction.
With one FSO in each assembly constituency, Delhi has 70 FSOs. “From now onwards, if any corruption is found or even if boards mentioning rates of grains are found missing from FPSs, then not only the owner but also the FSO concerned will be pulled up,” said Mr. Hussain. A total of 2,530 FPSs are currently operational in the Capital.
Distribution of fresh ration cards to beneficiaries was ceased by the Food and Supplies Department in November
