EARTH NEWS SERVICE Jammu,
Dec 02|15: This may sound strange in the face of 
unprecedented inflation but Jammu and Kashmir is all set to provide ration to 60 percent of its population at u believably low price such as a kilo of rice for just rupees 3. After months of discussions on a proposal which has been in pipeline for last two years, the state cabinet has finally cleared the implementation of National Food Security Act. Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Wednesday announced the decision of the State Cabinet to implement the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in the state, which is expected to benefit 1.19 crore people of Jammu & Kashmir. Passed at the Centre in 2013, consensus eluded National Food Security Act implementation in Jammu and Kashmir even as Omar Abdullah government had given consent to it but could not implement during its tenure. The Act was enacted on July 5, 2013, during the previous United Progressive Alliance government. States and UTs were asked to implement it within a year. The Act was enacted on July 5, 2013, during the previous United Progressive Alliance government. States and UTs were asked to implement it within a year. Disclosing the contours of the implementation of the NFSA in the state, Mufti Sayeed said 74.13 lakh persons from poor and marginalized sections of the society will be provided ration at highly-subsidized rates of Rs. 2 per kg for atta and Rs. 3 per kg for rice. “Another 45 lakh people will also be provided atta @ Rs. 8 per kg and rice @ Rs. 10 per kg,” he added. The Chief Minister also described as major achievement the government’s decision to disburse ration as per the 2011 Census, which was earlier being provided to people according to 2001 Census. Under NFSA, the people will get assured supply of ration right at their doorsteps in a hassle-free manner through Aadhar Card from February 01, next year. Any person who is denied ration shall be given ‘Food Security Allowance’ through an inbuilt mechanism which has been incorporated in the Act at state, district and block-level. National Food Security Act was one of flagship programmes of the UPA-II introduced in 2013. However, the then Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was heading the National Conference Congress coalition government in the state, refused to implement it on the ground that it was not beneficial to the people of the state.
