SHILLONG, June 14 � The groundwork to implement the National Food Security Act has been completed by the Meghalaya Food and Civil Supplies department and if the State Government provides the fund it would be implemented by July this year.
PW Ingty, Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies said the groundwork has been completed for implementation of the Act in the State and 2.49 lakh beneficiaries have been identified who would be brought under the Act.
He said the Community and Rural Development department has completed the Socio-Economic and Caste Census recently which has enabled the department to identify the beneficiaries.
In rural sector, 18.45 lakh and in urban area 3.35 lakh beneficiaries have been identified. �The department is ready and now it is up to the Government to decide about the implementation of the Act,� he added.
Under the Act, the beneficiaries would get rice at Rs 3 per kg and wheat (atta) at Rs 2 per kg. Each member of the family would be allotted five kg of rice per month.
However, the State Government has to bear the initial financial burden of this subsidy and 75 per cent of which would be reimbursed by the Central Government. Ingty said the State Government has to provide Rs 3.28 crore per month for the subsidised food items under the Act.
Interestingly, under the Act, the head of the family would be a woman from the family. �This was done by the Central Government to empower women,� the principal secretary said.
Moreover, there would also be a State Food Commission that would oversee the implementation of the Act. Meanwhile, the FCS department has called a tender for computerisation of the Targeted Public Distribution System. Ingty said a firm has been given the work order to supply hardware to the department at an amount of Rs 45 lakh. �Computerisation would help in preventing leakages in the PDS,� Ingty said.
