Centre has no road map to implement food security act, says Raman Singh
1 Aug 2013 5:24 AM IST
Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh on Tuesday criticised the National Food Security Act brought by the central government saying that ‘it had inadequate provisions’ and would be ineffective when implemented. ‘The central act covers 67 per cent of the population whereas we in Chhattisgarh cover 90 per cent,’ said Singh while delivering the keynote address at the national symposium on Food Security Act organised by the Centre for Reforms, Development and Justice.
‘The Centre should rise above partisan politics and emulate Chhattisgarh Food Security model for betterment of poor in the country,’ said Raman Singh at the symposium. Admonishing the Centre for bringing the act through an ordinance, Singh said, ‘In a democracy debate is important. Such backdoor entries are regrettable. I hope the act is debated in detail in Parliament before it’s ratified.’
The chief minister added that different states have different criteria and every state has different economic situation so one needs to understand these aspects before implementing the Food Security Act.
Citing the example of his own state where about 90 per cent of the population is covered under the Food Security Act 2012, the chief minister said it took him about six years in the field to prepare the ground work before implementing the act in the state.
‘One has to realise that Public Distribution System (PDS) is a chain that involves production, procurement and distribution of food grain and to implement the Food Security Act, one has to have all the three in place. We passed the act only when we had the system in place ,’ he said. Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act (CFSA) was passed by state legislative assembly in December last year.
Questioning the Centre if it has prepared a roadmap to implement the act at such a large scale, Singh asked. ‘Does the Centre have the storage capacity for food grains and what about the transparency aspect in the act? I think these points should be discussed when the bill is tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament.’ He added it will not take less than ten years for the government before it can put a system in place to implement the Food Security Act.
‘The Centre should rise above partisan politics and emulate Chhattisgarh Food Security model for betterment of poor in the country,’ said Raman Singh at the symposium. Admonishing the Centre for bringing the act through an ordinance, Singh said, ‘In a democracy debate is important. Such backdoor entries are regrettable. I hope the act is debated in detail in Parliament before it’s ratified.’
The chief minister added that different states have different criteria and every state has different economic situation so one needs to understand these aspects before implementing the Food Security Act.
Citing the example of his own state where about 90 per cent of the population is covered under the Food Security Act 2012, the chief minister said it took him about six years in the field to prepare the ground work before implementing the act in the state.
‘One has to realise that Public Distribution System (PDS) is a chain that involves production, procurement and distribution of food grain and to implement the Food Security Act, one has to have all the three in place. We passed the act only when we had the system in place ,’ he said. Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act (CFSA) was passed by state legislative assembly in December last year.
Questioning the Centre if it has prepared a roadmap to implement the act at such a large scale, Singh asked. ‘Does the Centre have the storage capacity for food grains and what about the transparency aspect in the act? I think these points should be discussed when the bill is tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament.’ He added it will not take less than ten years for the government before it can put a system in place to implement the Food Security Act.
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