Food Security Act to be implemented in July: Saryu Roy

Jamshedpur : Jharkhand’s new food and civil supplies minister Saryu Roy said that he was unaware about the status of the National Food Security Act in the state, but promised to do everything possible to ensure its implementation.

“I am also unaware about specific problems in existing food schemes like the public distribution system, midday meal, integrated child development scheme and old-age pension.

But I urge the members of the Right to Food Campaign to intensify its struggle to demand people’s basic entitlements to food and nutrition,” Roy.

He said that the act will be implemented by July.The BJP leader, who took oath as a minister in the Raghubar Das government, added: “A statewide system of community monitoring of food schemes should be started.

Based on the irregularities highlighted through this process, suitable action will be taken.”

Under the Food Security Act, 86 per cent of Jharkhand’s rural population is entitled to receive rice at the rate of Rs 3 per kilo, wheat at Rs 2 per kilo and millets at Re 1 per kilo.