Food Security Act: Congress questions delay in implementation

BHUBANESWAR: Congress today sought a clarification from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the delay in implementing the National Food Security Act in the state.

"Though there is a provision under the law that the Act passed in the Parliament need to be implemented in states within one year, the same has not been done within the stipulated time," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said while raising the issue during the Zero Hour.

Seeking reply from the chief minister or the minister concerned, Mishra said about three-fourth of the state's population have been denied their Rights to Food as the state government did not implement the Act within one year time.

He said that because the central government will supply foodgrain to be distributed among the poor and deserving people, the state government has nothing to lose if it implements the Act.

Mishra said the Rangarajan Committee has recently stated that about 195-lakh people in the state were poor.

"The Rangarajan Committee has exposed the state government's false claim of reducing poverty in Odisha," he said asking the state government to release the exact number poor people in the state.

The state government has reasoned that the one-year delay in the Act's implementation was due to the general elections and the provision of deletion of the beneficiaries and requested the Centre to extend the time-limit.