The period for identification of households eligible for coverage under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) has been extended up to September 30, 2015 through an order issued by the Department of Food and Public Distribution on March 24. Though the law stipulates that any such orders made under the Act are tabled in Parliament, the Centre has no such plans.
In response to a Right to Information query filed with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, respondents have noted that the deadline has been extended, for the second time, because States have not yet identified beneficiaries, and also due to lack of preparedness in 25 States/Union Territories for implementing the Act.
What the Act saysAs per Section 42 of the NFSA Act, “if any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the Central government may, by order, published in the Official Gazette, make such provisions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, as appear to it to be necessary or expedient for removing the difficulty.” But this is upon the condition that “every order made under this Section shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament.”
However, government sources confirmed to The Hindu that the orders won’t be laid in Parliament. M.K. Sharma, under secretary to the government, in the Law Ministry, said the March 24 orders were issued after consulting the Law Ministry. Nilambuj Sharan, Director, NFSA, further confirmed that there was no plan to table the orders for discussion in Parliament.
Development economist Jean Dreze, an expert on food security, told The Hindu that the delay in release of socio-economic caste Census data to various States had initially posed a challenge in identifying beneficiary households under the NFSA.
“The Act itself has no provision on how beneficiaries would be identified. But now that most States have received the SECC data, there is no reason why they should continue to put off its implementation,” he said.
He said the Centre was trying to impose certain conditions for implementation, which were not legitimate, such as end-to-end computerisation, in which details of beneficiary households were digitised, complete with information of beneficiary aadhaar numbers etc., which was adding to the delays.
The Act aims to provide subsidised food grains to over one billion Indians.
It also legally entitles beneficiaries of the Midday Meal Scheme, the Integrated Child Development Services scheme and the Public Distribution System, to food. Delays mean legitimate beneficiaries are denied the NFSA benefits. It was signed into law in 2013.
