Bengal Government Serves Food Act as a Poll-Tool, reports EXIN Times

As the state poll is nearing, chief minister Mamata Banerjee suddenly finds that it is possible to roll out rice at Rs 3 a kilo to another 3 crore people. Until now, the state government rolled over the impossibility of implementing of National Food Security Act (NFSA), as conveyed to EXIN Times.

According to EXIN Times reports, under the central act, the beneficiaries in each state should be identified within July 4. However the deadlines had not affected Bengal CM. The chief minister had announced that from August 1 the state will launch a two-month drive to cover everyone left out in the Socio-economic Caste Census (SECC), 2011. This is meant to remove the "discrepancies" and allow a second chance to those that could not apply. Banerjee had also made it clear that people receiving 2-rs/kg rice from the Government will remain the same while the list will be extended with more 3.2 crore people who will receive 35 kgs rice per month under NFSA rates.

From August 1 to September 30, the Bengal government will issue two application forms -a green one for new applicants left out in the SECC enumeration and a white one for families whose income may be higher but not enough to maintain their family, said the minister. Yesterday, chief secretary Sanjay Mitra met food secretary Anil Verma to roll out the modalities. But question bothers as the state is about to face an impossible challenge to stock more 4 lakh metric tonnes of food.