Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh speaking at a national symposium on National Food Security Act' 2013 organised by Centre for Reforms, Development and Justice (CRDJ) in the national Capital on 30 July 2013. Also seen in the picture is CRDJ president Sidharth Mishra and secretary Dr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari.
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Chhattisgarh CM claimed it would be 10 years before the Centre’s Act can be implemented.
Centre’s Act inadequate, will be ineffective
Chhattisgarh brought only after strengthening public distribution system
Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh on 30 July 2013 criticised the National Food Security Act brought by the Central government saying that ‘it had inadequate provisions’ and would be ineffective when implemented. ‘The Central act covers 67 percent of population whereas we in Chattisgarh cover 90 percent,’ said Singh delivering the keynote address at the national symposium on Food Security Act orgnaised by the Centre for Reforms, Development and Justice.
‘The Centre should rise above partisan politics and emulate Chhattisgarh Food Security model for betterment of poor in the country,' said Raman Singh at the symposium. Admonishing the Centre for bringing the Act through an Ordinance , Singh said, ‘In democracy debate is important. Such backdoor entries are regrettable. I hope the Act id debated in detail in Parliament before its ratified.’
The chief minister added that different states have different criteria and every state has different economic situation so one needs to understand these aspects before implementing the Food Security Act. Citing the example of his own state where about 90% of the population is covered under the Food Security Act 2012, the chief minister said that it took him about six years in the field to prepare the ground work before implementing the Act in the state.
'One has to realise that Public Distribution System (PDS) is a chain that involves production, procurement and distribution of food grain and to implement the Food Security Act, one has to have all the three in place. We passed the Act only when we had the system in place ,' said Chhattisgarh chief minister. Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act (CFSA) was passed by state legislative assembly in December last year.
Questioning Centre if they have prepared a roadmap for to implement the Act at such a large scale, Singh asked. 'Does the centre have the storage capacity to store the food grains and what about the transparency aspect in the Act, I think these points should be discussed when the bill is tabled in the monsoon session of the parliament.' The chief minister also added that it will not take less than ten years for the government before it can put a system in place to implement the Food Security Act.