Centre to provide 3 months ration in advance to J&K: Paswan

Srinagar: The Centre today said a decision on providing subsidised ration, in addition to what is supplied under NFSA, to Jammu and Kashmir government for implementing Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) would be taken soon, and it assured the state of providing three months ration in advance.

"The state government has demanded that additional ration be supplied at subsidised rates. We will discuss it in a meeting on July 14 with the state as well as the central officials," Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan told reporters here.

The state government today rolled out the MMSFES to supplement the NFSA and ensure adequate food safety under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) in the state.

The scheme was announced after widespread protests across the Valley over the less quantity of food grains per soul in a place where rice is the staple diet.

Under MMSFES, all those families with family size of one to six persons falling under Priority Households (PHH) and Non-Priority Households (NPHH) will get additional food-grains, over and above NFSA entitlement, at the uniform scale of 5 kg per person per ration card except for AAY families who are otherwise entitled to receive 35 kg ration per family irrespective of the family size.

Paswan said the Centre was doing what it could to help the state under the NFSA and would take a decision soon to help the state outside the purview of the NFSA.

"We will take a decision on that. Whatever needs to be done according to the NFSA, we are doing that. But if we have to do something outside the purview of the Act, the decision on that will be taken," the Union minister said.

All the demands of the state would be up for discussion in that meeting, he said, adding, his ministry has accepted the demand of the state for providing ration for three months in advance.

"There are some issues in three districts of the state, otherwise I have asked the department to start the process of providing the ration for three months in advance," he said.

He said there is a target of covering a population of 82 crore under NFSA throughout the country.

"It has been implemented across the country in all states except Tamil Nadu and Kerala. We have a target of covering a population of 82 crore under the Act. So far, we have covered 71 crores and rest will be covered soon," the minister said.