In a major decision on the National Food Security Act, the State Administrative Council (SAC) today ordered increase in allocation of ration from 5 kg to 7 kg per person for Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Priority Sector Households (PSH) to provide relief to a vast majority of people across the state.
The intervention is unique as the state will have to bear the burden of procuring additional quantity of food grains pursuant to the revision in the scale of ration, which is beyond the Food Act level.
The SAC, which met here under the chairmanship of Governor NN Vohra, accorded sanction to the provision of additional food grains at 2 kg per head, over and above the Food Act entitlement of 5 kg per person, for 17.85 lakh individuals in the BPL and PSH categories up to a family size of six. The additional 2 kg per head shall be priced at a subsidised rate of Rs 12 per kg of rice and Rs 10 per kg of wheat.
An official spokesperson said the BPL families in particular would receive major relief on account of the SAC decision as they would get additional quantity of 2 kg food grains at a highly subsidised price.
A five-member BPL family will now be entitled to get 35 kg food grains for just Rs 195 (5 kg rice at Rs 3 per kg plus 2 kg rice at Rs 12 per kg) as compared to Rs 224 at Rs 6.40 per kg.
A five-member non-BPL family under the priority category will have to shell Rs 275 (25 kg rice at Rs 3 per kg and additional 10 kg at Rs 20 per kg) as compared to Rs 350 at Rs10 per kg spent earlier.
The SAC also decided that the additional provision of food grains would be made available at 2 kg per head over and above the Food Act entitlement of 5 kg per head in respect of all the 42.51 lakh individuals belonging to the PSH category.
The additional 2 kg per person shall be priced at a subsidised rate of Rs 20 per kg rice and Rs 13 per kg wheat.
To ensure availability of ration to even those who are not a part of the priority category, the SAC further approved availability of additional quantity of food grains at 2 kg per head over and above the 5 kg limit in respect of 45 lakh individuals under the Non Priority Household category on a no profit basis (Rs 25 per kg rice and Rs 18 per kg wheat), said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson further said today’s decision will fully protect the allocation to 13.77 lakh individuals in the Antyodaya Anna Yojana category.
A family under the AAY will now need to spend only Rs 105 per month to procure 35 kg of food grains, said the spokesperson.
The SAC also directed the Finance Department to immediately provide additional resources to the extent of Rs 105 crore to the Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution Department to implement the decision relating the enhanced scale of food grains over and above the Food Act entitlement from April 1.
Govt goes beyond Food Act, increases ration quota to 7 kg
