Paswan slams Bihar, says many not getting subsidised foodgrain

Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Sunday said many eligible beneficiaries in Bihar were not getting subsidised food grain under the National Food Security Act as fresh ration cards have not been issued to them.

Paswan was in Patna to chair a open discussion –Khadya Suraksha Panchayat – on the implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) with all stakeholders, an official statement said.

Paswan said, “His Ministry is pursuing Bihar government to implement NFSA effectively and a number of communications have been sent to the state government to complete all the remaining work for this purpose.” 

He added all beneficiaries were yet to be issued fresh ration cards to avail subsidised foodgrain under the Act. Still a number of the eligible beneficiaries are not getting their food quota due to poor delivery mechanism.

“Of the 8.71 crore beneficiaries in Bihar (85% in rural areas and 74% in urban areas) under the Food Security Act, 1.11 crore people have not been issued fresh ration cards for availing their food quota at subsidised rate of Rs 2 per kg wheat and Rs 3 per kg rice, even after rolling out of the Food Act in March 2014 in Bihar,” he said.

He said the National Informatics Centre has urged the state government to upload the details of remaining beneficiaries on PDS portal, which is still awaited.