Expedite socio-economic census to implement Food Bill: Thomas
Thomas has asked both Rural & Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministries to expedite the SECC that will be used to identify beneficiaries.
By PTI | Updated:
NEW DELHI: In order to enable implementation of the proposals in the National Food Security Bill at the earliest, Food Minister K V Thomas has asked both the Rural and the Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministries to expedite the socio-economic and caste census that will be used to identify beneficiaries of various schemes.
The Food Bill, which aims to provide cheaper foodgrains to 63.5 per cent of the nation's population, has been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food.
"As the implementation of the National Food Security Bill is crucially linked to identification of households, the issue is likely to come up for examination before the Standing Committee any time. I would, therefore, request you to ensure expeditious completion of the survey (census)...," Thomas said in separate letters to the Rural as well as the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation ministers.
He has asked for an updated status of Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011, and also requested the ministries concerned to complete the survey soon to facilitate the implementation of the proposed law.
While the Ministry of Rural Development is coordinating the survey to identify households in rural areas, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation is looking into identification of households in urban areas.
During the Winter Session of Parliament, Minister of State for Planning Ashwani Kumar had said in a written reply to Lok Sabha that "the SECC is expected to be completed by January 2012".
The SECC, which was initiated in June last year, has not made big progress in many of the states. The process has not even started in some states. However, the Rural Development ministry hopes to complete the process by June 2012.
The Food Bill, which aims to provide cheaper foodgrains to 63.5 per cent of the nation's population, has been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food.
"As the implementation of the National Food Security Bill is crucially linked to identification of households, the issue is likely to come up for examination before the Standing Committee any time. I would, therefore, request you to ensure expeditious completion of the survey (census)...," Thomas said in separate letters to the Rural as well as the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation ministers.
He has asked for an updated status of Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011, and also requested the ministries concerned to complete the survey soon to facilitate the implementation of the proposed law.
While the Ministry of Rural Development is coordinating the survey to identify households in rural areas, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation is looking into identification of households in urban areas.
During the Winter Session of Parliament, Minister of State for Planning Ashwani Kumar had said in a written reply to Lok Sabha that "the SECC is expected to be completed by January 2012".
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The SECC, which was initiated in June last year, has not made big progress in many of the states. The process has not even started in some states. However, the Rural Development ministry hopes to complete the process by June 2012.
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