SRINAGAR: In a significant development, PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday decided to implement the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in the state from February 1, 2016.
The decision in this regard was taken in a cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in Jammu today.
“We have decided to implement the NFSA in the State from February 1 next year,” Mufti told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
He said under NFSA, the people will get assured supply of ration right at their doorsteps in a hassle-free manner through Aadhar Card.
“74.13 lakh persons from poor and marginalized sections of the society will be provided ration at highly-subsidized rates of Rs. 2 per kg for atta and Rs. 3 per kg for rice. Another 45 lakh people will also be provided atta @ Rs. 8 per kg and rice @ Rs. 10 per kg,” Mufti said.
He said any person who is denied ration shall be given ‘Food Security Allowance’ through an inbuilt mechanism which has been incorporated in the Act at state, district and block-level.
The previous NC-Congress government headed by Omar Abdullah had refused to implement the NFSA in the State.
Omar while opposing implementation of NFSA in the State had said its implementation would have resulted in loss to the people of the State rather than benefit.
Asked whether NFSA will be implemented in the State without any legislation in the State legislature as a central act cannot be directly implemented in the J&K, which enjoys special status under Article 370, Mufti said, “There is no need for a legislation. It is an Act and would be implemented in total in the State”.
He said NFSA is applicable in other parts of the country and there is no problem in implementing it in the State.
The CM also revealed that the State government will now be disbursing ration as per the 2011 Census.
Earlier, the ration was provided to the people according to 2001 Census.