State govts get 3 months more to implement Food Security Act - Livemint

Food minister Ram Vilas Paswan has called a meeting with state food ministers on 4 July to take up the issue. Photo: Mint

New Delhi : With food prices on the rise, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is pushing for timely implementation of the national food security law to cushion the poor from the brunt of inflation.

Ram Vilas Paswan , minister of consumer affairs, food and distribution, said on Thursday that the ministry has written a letter to chief ministers of states that are yet to implement the food security law to do so in the next three months.

“He (Paswan) said effective implementation of the Act would protect the poor from the increase in market prices of food articles, especially wheat and rice,” the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Under the food security law, the government provides 5kg of foodgrain per person per month to 67% of the country’s population at a subsidized price of Rs.1 to Rs.3 per kg.

The law has been implemented in only 11 states with the remaining set to miss the 5 July deadline set to implement the Rs.1.25 trillion programme.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had voiced certain reservations with the law that was approved by the earlier United Progressive Alliance government, it is now resorting to it as a measure to prevent the poor from the pinch of high food prices.

Paswan has called a meeting with state food ministers on 4 July to take up the issue of early implementation of the law.

Inflation measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) accelerated 6.01% in May, the quickest pace since December. Food inflation quickened to 9.5% from 8.64% a month ago, led by increase in prices of potatoes, fruits and protein-rich items such as egg, meat and fish.

The delay in monsoon has raised concerns of more pressure on food prices.

The BJP government launched its drive to fight against rising food prices last week with finance minister Arun Jaitley unveiling a slew of measures to contain inflation. The government on 17 June announced minimum export prices for onions and potatoes to discourage exports and increase local supply, called for crack down on hoarders by state governments and release of rice stocks in the open market.

In a bid to take these measures forward, Paswan will discuss measures to check inflation with the state food ministers during the conference. “The government has taken a serious note of recent increase in market prices of some of the food articles. It would take stern action, jointly with state governments, to check all such unreasonable hike as there is enough stocks of foodgrains and other essential commodities in the country,” Paswan told reporters.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to review the progress of the monsoon. The meeting was attended by the ministers for home, finance, agriculture, food and consumer affairs and water resources, according to a press statement.

“Officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) apprised the Prime Minister of the monsoon situation. They said that though the monsoon has been delayed, rainfall is likely to improve substantially in the months of July and August,” the statement said.

The farm ministry has prepared a contingency plan for more than 500 districts, the government said. Modi also reviewed the steps that have been taken to contain inflation.