BHUBANESWAR: Coming under all-round criticism for not constituting the Food Commission as per the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the State Government on Saturday announced that the Commission will be notified by September 16.
Announcing the decision, Minister of State for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Sanjay Dasburma said the panel will have a chairman and five members besides an executive secretary. The Minister said the Government issued a notification for public hearing.
The last date of the public hearing was on February 9, the Minister said and added that the notification of the Commission will have to be issued within seven days of the completion of the hearing. The Minister said all committees at the district and block levels as per the provisions of the NFSA will also be set up soon. The State Government had notified the State Information Commission (SIC) as the Food Commission as a temporary measure, Dasburma added. The issue of delay in the formation of the panel by the Government cropped up during the two-day visit of Union Minister for Food and Consumer Welfare Ram Vilas Paswan to Odisha which concluded on Friday.
Paswan, who expressed the helplessness of the Centre over the issue, however, advised the State Government to constitute these bodies for the proper implementation of NFSA in Odisha.