National Food Security Act

National Food Security Act

Subject :Governance

Section :Schemes

Context:

In a bid to develop a uniform criteria for identification of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the food ministry is formulating new guidelines in consultation with state governments.

Details:

Currently, as per the section 10 of NFSA, respective state governments and Union Territories have the responsibility of identification and selection of beneficiaries. States currently follow inclusion criteria, which broadly covers residential vulnerability, age, disabilities, gender, caste, income and occupational vulnerability. The usage of different criteria by states is likely to leave an essential gap in the coverage under NFSA.

For instance,

• Destitution being recognised as inclusion criteria is only followed by 16 states and union territories.
• Vulnerable households criteria is followed by only 9 states/UTs while the gender based vulnerability is followed by 28 states/UTs.

Section 38 of NFSA states that the Centre can provide guidelines to states from time to time for ensuring effective implementation of food security legislation.

Section 39(1) of NFSA, the Central Government may, in consultation with the State Governments and by notification, make rules to carry out the provisions of the Act.

Section 40 of NFSA provides that the State Governments may, by notification and consistent with the Act and the rules made by the Central Government, make rules to carry out the provisions of this Act.

About National Food Security Act:

The enactment of the National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 on July 5, 2013 marks a paradigm shift in the approach to food security from welfare to rights based approach

• It is legally entitled  to provide highly subsidized food grains to 75% of the rural and 50% of the rural population under Targeted Public Distribution System.
• Beneficiaries under NFSA, receive 5 kgs of foodgrains per person per month at subsidized prices of Rs 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
• Foodgrains under NFSA were to be made available at subsidized prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per kg for rice, wheat and coarse grains respectively for an initial period of three years from the date of commencement of the Act (July 13, 2013). Thereafter, prices were to be fixed by the Central Government from time to time, but not exceeding MSP.
• Besides, the existingAntyodaya Anna Yojana households, referred as poorest of the poor, will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per household per month.
• As a step towards women empowerment, the eldest woman of the household of age 18 years or above is mandated to be the head of the household for the purpose of issuing ration cards under the Act.
• The identification of beneficiaries by States/UTs is a continuous process, which involves exclusion of ineligible/fake/duplicate ration cards and also exclusion on account of death, migration etc. and inclusion on account of birth as also that of genuine left-out households.
• It follows   life-cycle approach wherein special provisions have been made for pregnant women and lactating mothers and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years, by entitling them to receive nutritious meal free of cost through a widespread network of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres, called Anganwadi Centres under ICDS scheme and also through schools under Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme.
• Pregnant women and lactating mothers are further entitled to receive cash maternity benefits of not less than Rs. 6,000 to partly compensate for the wage loss during the period of pregnancy and also to supplement nutrition.
• In case of non-supply of the entitled quantities of foodgrains or meals to entitled persons under NFSA, such persons shall be entitled to receive such food security allowance from the concerned State Government to be paid to each person, within such time and manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government
• National Food Security Act (2013) provides for reforms in the TPDS including schemes such as Cash transfers for provisioning of food entitlements. In pursuance of enabling provisions under section 12 of NFSA for cash transfer, Govt. notified ‘Cash Transfer of Food Subsidy Rule, 2015’ in Aug 2015.
• NFSA defines the joint responsibility of the Centre and State/UT Government.
  • Centre is responsible for allocation of required foodgrains to States/UTs, transportation of foodgrains up to designated depots in each State/UT and providing central assistance to States/UTs for delivery of foodgrains from designated FCI godowns to the doorstep of the FPSs,
  • States/UTs are responsible for effective implementation of the Act, which inter-alia includes identification of eligible households, issuing ration cards to them, distribution of foodgrain entitlements to eligible households through fair price shops (FPS), issuance of licenses to Fair Price Shop dealers and their monitoring, setting up effective grievance redressal mechanism and necessary strengthening of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
• The Scheme is optional for States/UTs and operates in “Identified areas” in a State or Union territory or any specified area within the State or Union territory for which there is a written consent of the State Government for implementation of the Scheme. Prevailing system of distribution of food grains through the Public Distribution System may continue in the remaining areas not covered under the Scheme.