By IANS,
New Delhi : Urging states to produce more grains to meet the growing food demand, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Wednesday stressed the streamlining of the procurement and distribution system to ensure a successful rollout of a scheme for providing food to all.
The proposed national food security bill aims to guarantee food and nutrition to the most vulnerable citizens.
“Critical issues in production, procurement, storage, movement and distribution should be addressed immediately so that when the act is implemented the system is ready,” said Pawar, while addressing a two-day meeting of state food and agriculture ministers here.
Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister K.V. Thomas said providing food security to all was one of the most ambitious social security programmes of the government.
“The National Food Security Bill outlines the process of bringing in most vulnerable citizens to a safety net where they could take comfort in the guaranteed availability of food and nutrition,” he said.
Thomas pointed out that states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Assam have a large potential to improve procurement.
He urged the states to implement a recent decision taken by the central government to introduce payment to farmers compulsorily by cheque or account transfer to ensure that full the minimum support price reached them.
The food bill is being examined by a parliamentary standing committee.