The rollout of the Union government’s new integrated food security Scheme is set to begin on Sunday. The government will provide foodgrains free of cost to 81.35 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) for one year. On Saturday, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution notified ‘zero price’ of foodgrains to be distributed to all NFSA beneficiaries from January 1 to December 31, 2023.
The notification said, “Central Government will bear the food subsidy of more than Rs. 2 Lakh crore for the year 2023.” It further stated that the government has a social and legal commitment to the people of the nation- a dignified life by ensuring their access to food and nutritional security through the availability of an adequate quantity of quality food grains.
Under the scheme, the Government will provide free foodgrains to all NFSA beneficiaries that are, Antyodaya Ann Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Household (PHH) persons for the next year through the widespread network of 5.33 lakhs Fair Price Shops across the country.
NFSA beneficiaries earlier paid a subsidised rate of Rs 1-3 per kg. They were also getting free grains under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) launched in April 2020 to provide relief to the poor during the COVID-19. However, the PMGKAY was extended multiple times and ended on December 31, 2022.
“The new scheme is aimed at bringing uniformity and clarity on food security under NFSA at beneficiary level,” the government notification said.
According to the ministry, the new integrated scheme will subsume two current food subsidy schemes. One is the food subsidy given to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) under NFSA and the other food subsidy is given to decentralized procurement states dealing in procurement, allocation, and delivery of free foodgrains under NFSA, it said.
“For fulfilling this commitment to the most vulnerable 67% of population i.e. 81.35 crore persons covered under NFSA, the cabinet decided to launch a new Central Sector scheme to fulfill the vision of One Nation – One Price – One Ration,” the notification added
To implement the scheme smoothly, all General Managers of FCI will visit three ration shops every day in different areas of their jurisdiction mandatorily from January 1, 2023, to January 7, 2023, and submit a report to their Nodal Officer on a daily basis.
According to a PTI report, the government has recently said that about 159 lakh tonnes of wheat and 104 lakh tonnes of rice will be available as on January 1, 2023, as against the respective buffer norms requirement of 138 lakh tonnes of wheat and 76 lakh tonnes of rice as on January 1.