NFSA unclear on providing ration to children born in or after 2012
The newly introduced National Food Security Act (NFSA) has no provision of ration for children born after 2011. “There is a directive that those born up to 2011 are entitled to ration, but those born after 2011 are not,” said GS Chib, Director, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department.
He said the government intended to impose a cut-off date for consumers. “This cut-off date will remain in force till any other decision is taken,” he said.
Asked when those born after 2011 would be brought under the ambit of ration, the Director was not able to give a timeline. Until the government announced a policy in this regard, the CAPD was not entitled to provide ration to any child born after 2011.
“The child’s name will be included into the ration card for all other purposes like getting permanent resident certificate and admission to school, but not ration,” he said. The NFSA was not clear on providing ration to children born after 2011.
It had special focus on nutritional support to women and children. Besides meals to pregnant women and lactating mothers six months after childbirth, such women would be entitled to maternity benefit of not less than Rs 6,000.
Children up to 14 years of age would be entitled to nutritious meals as per prescribed nutritional standards. The Act said in case of non-supply of foodgrain or meals they were entitled to, beneficiaries would receive food security allowance. The CAPD failed to elaborate on such a provision.
As per the earlier ration procedure, as soon as a child was born, his or her name was included in the ration card by the depot dealer of the area, which was later endorsed by the CAPD.
“A suckling child, besides mother’s feed, is dependent on sugar. Though the child is not entitled to wheat, atta and rice till three years of age, sugar is immediately included in ration for the child,” said a depot owner at Rehari Mohalla.
He added that a directive had been received from the department not to provide ration to any child born after 2011. The new policy left consumers hapless as they were not able to see any logic behind it.
The Director, CAPD, acknowledged the government’s policy of a cut-off date in ration distribution under the NFSA, but failed to explain the rationale behind denying ration to children born after 2011.
