Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan sets deadline to meet Food Security Act standards

Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday asked 11 states and Union Territories that have implemented Food Security Act to meet all standards by December-end, failing which the Centre would "rethink" over its continuation there.

The Centre has "written a letter to the chief ministers of all 11 states and UTs, where Food Security Act has been made functional, to meet all standards of the (Food Security) Legislation by December-end," Paswan told reporters in Patna.

"We cannot allow providing huge subsidy worth Rs 1.31 lakh crore annually without all mandatory conditions being met," he said, adding the ministry would "rethink" over continuation of the Act in states that do not meet all standards.

Hailing Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for meeting all conditions for implementation of the Act, Paswan assailed home state Bihar for not creating infrastructure for effective implementation of the legislation.
The minister said every state and UTs implementing the Act would have to put list of beneficiaries online.

Besides, they would have to make proper arrangements for doorstep delivery of subsidised foodgrains and also check black marketing, he added.