The State government is moving ahead with a roadmap to provide ration cards in accordance with the provisions of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 by March 2017, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies P. Thilothaman has said.
Speaking to mediapersons here on Friday, Mr. Thilothaman squarely put the blame on the previous UDF government for the delay in implementing the NFSA in the State.
Mr. Thilothaman pointed out that though the State was among those in the forefront to accept the national food security policy, it had failed to issue new ration cards by 2013. The LDF government had asked the Central government for extra time for the completion of the process.“Kerala and Tamil Nadu were the only States which have not implemented NFSA so far,” he said.
The plan was to prepare the list of Priority Sector and Non Priority Sector patrons at the State-level. The UDF government had prepared these rank-lists at the taluk-level which had led to confusions and the resultant delay, he said. According to him, a provisional list will be published which the people could crosscheck and place complaints, if any. There will be committees at the grama panchayat-level to make necessary corrections.
