State Cabinet to take final call on food security Act today

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 1

Even as the Centre has decided to allot additional foodgrains to J&K to meet the shortfall, the state Cabinet, which is scheduled to meet here on Tuesday, is going to take a final call on whether it will implement the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.

This was submitted by Advocate General Riyaz A. Jan before a division bench of the High Court today while seeking time to file the affidavit by the government on its readiness to implement the Food Security Act.

The High Court is hearing a PIL by Tariq Ali Najar, filed through counsel SA Rathore, wherein the petitioner has sought distribution of ration and essential commodities to the people on the basis of requirement and as per the 2011 Census.

As the matter came up before the division bench headed by Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar today, Additional Solicitor General SA Makru placed a communication before the bench wherein the Centre has informed the J&K Government about the it’s decision to allocate additional monthly foodgrains to the states and union territories, including J&K, under the below poverty line (BPL) quota up to September 2015 or till the implementation of the NFSA.

To meet the shortfall, it said, J&K has been allotted additional 3,180 tonne of rice and 1,523 tonne of wheat under BPL quota. While setting a deadline for implementing the NFSA, Makru said no additional allocation of foodgrains would be made beyond September 2015.

While making a submission that the state government was taking a decision with regard to the implementation of the NFSA in its Cabinet meeting scheduled for June 2, the Advocate General sought time to file the reply. While granting his plea, the bench directed him to submit the affidavit explaining the government’s stand on the NFSA by or before July 8.