By Animesh Singh New Delhi, Aug 21 : To ensure the uniformity in the amount of foodgrains as well as the cost that they are sold across the nation under the guidelines of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013.The Center is widely reported to be considering the possibility of a change in the name of the law in order to Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Khadya Suraksha Yojana.
Sources informed that apart from guaranteeing uniformity in the amount of foodgrains provided in the framework of NFSA and their prices an important factor that has prompted the Centre to contemplate changing the title of the Act is that various state governments are inclined to increase the Central subsidy they receive to implement the requirements of NFSA with the smallest amount and then run it as their own version even though the majority of the burden of subsidy is carried by the Central government.
According to reliable sources, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is believed to have drafted an draft Cabinet note to request an opinion from the Ministries of Law and Finance and other related departments.
They added that some of these state governments, through their programs that are a variation of NFSA also provide foodgrains at no cost of charge to those who are eligible, and sometimes even at a lower price stipulated in the Central Act.
Thus, to test the ‘variations’, and to prevent states from running variations of NFSA and claim that they are their own initiatives and the Centre plans to alter its nomenclature , by adding with the name “Pradhan Mantri Sources have pointed out.
Sources have even stated that although NFSA provides delivery to doorsteps of subsidised foodgrains for beneficiaries through fair-price shops states that have versions of NFSA have altered the provision by offering homes delivery of subsidised foodgrains on the doorsteps of the beneficiaries, which has negatively affected the fair-price shop network in these states.
This has caused to the Centre to make sure that there is consistency in the provisions of NFSA and sources suggested that there is a chance that all of the schemes operated by states could be incorporated under the NFSA when it is put into effect with an updated nomenclature.
The NFSA 2013 law was passed by the Congress-led UPA regime to ensure food security and to provide access to high-quality food at a affordable prices for the urban and rural poor.
Under it, the rural and urban poor get subsidised foodgrains in the targeted distribution system (TPDS).
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