The State Government’s primary goal is to provide food to each needy eligible family in the State. Under the provisions of National Food Security Act 2013, 5.46 crore beneficiaries in the State are being provided ration at a subsidized rate by the State Government. Moving ahead, 22,000 ration shops were added to Aadhaar-based ration distribution system (Ae-PDS) in Madhya Pradesh Government in October 2019.
With this arrangement, all such poor beneficiaries who move from one city to another in search of employment or for any other reason, can take their ration from any shop in that city from Ae-PDS. So far, 76.93 lakh families have availed benefit from this. It is a remarkable fact that the Central Government is also considering to implement this scheme.
The Government of Madhya Pradesh has already started it. Along with this, the “promises” with which the new government was formed in the state on December 17, 2018 are also being fulfilled with full commitment.
Madhya Pradesh Food Security Pulse Distribution Scheme has been implemented for the supply of protein and other nutrients in the food of the beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act, 2013, under which the rate of distribution of gram is fixed at Rs 27 per kg.
The eligibility is one kg per member and maximum four kg per family.
An allocation of 40,793 metric tonnes has been given to 117.47 lakh eligible families every month.
Distribution of one kg sugar per family every month at the rate of Rs 20 per kg has been started to 16 lakh 39 thousand 993 families identified under Antyodaya Anna Yojana as eligible families included under the National Food Security Act, 2013 from March, 2019 on which a grant at the rate of Rs 3,224 per tonne is being given by the state government.
Beneficiaries ineligible under the National Food Security Act, 2013, have been removed from the portal while benefits of the scheme have been given to eligible 1,65,438 new families included in the Act.
At present, 5.46 crore beneficiaries are being given the benefit of targeted public distribution system.
There is a provision to provide benefits to 5.46 crore persons, which is 75 per cent of the population, according to 2011 census under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
The estimated population of the year 2018 of Madhya Pradesh is 8.23 crore, 75 percent of which is 6.17 crore. Thus, foodgrains allocation is not being received for 71 lakh beneficiaries.
Only 66 percent of the present population, which is 9 percent less as per the Act are obtaining the benefits. The Government of India has been urged to allot additional foodgrain for these 71 lakh beneficiaries.
