Centre to roll out new integrated food security scheme from today; to provide free food grains to 81.35 cr beneficiaries under NFSA

The scheme would also ensure effective and uniform implementation of the National Food Security Act

January 1, 2023

The new scheme aims to bring uniformity and clarity to food security under NFSA at the beneficiary level

The rollout of the Centre’s new integrated food security scheme is set to begin on January 1, 2023. The new scheme would provide free food grains to 81.35 crore beneficiaries under NFSA, for the year 2023, officials said on Saturday.

The scheme would also ensure adequate and uniform implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the government has a social and legal commitment to the people of the nation — a dignified life by ensuring their access to food and nutritional security through the availability of an adequate quantity of quality food grains.

To fulfill this commitment to the most vulnerable 67 percent of the population which is 81.35 crore people covered under NFSA, the Cabinet decided to launch a new Central Sector scheme to fulfill the vision of ‘One Nation – One Price – One Ration‘.

Notification of modified Schedule I reflecting zero price of foodgrains for AAY and PHH beneficiaries from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, was issued on Saturday.

Under the scheme, the government will provide free foodgrains to all NFSA beneficiaries including Antyodaya Ann Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Household (PHH) persons for the next year through the widespread network of 5.33 lakhs Fair Price Shops across the country.

The decision will strengthen the provisions of NFSA, 2013, regarding accessibility, affordability, and availability of food grains for the poor.

The new integrated scheme will subsume two current food subsidy schemes of the Department of Food and Public Distribution – (a) Food Subsidy to FCI for NFSA, and (b) Food Subsidy for decentralized procurement states, dealing with procurement, allocation, and delivery of free foodgrains to the states under NFSA.

Free foodgrains will concurrently ensure uniform implementation of portability under the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) across the country and will further strengthen this choice-based platform.

The Central government will bear the food subsidy of more than Rs.2 lakh crore for the year 2023. The new scheme aims to bring uniformity and clarity to food security under NFSA at the beneficiary level.

[With Inputs from IANS]

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