Latest news with #NFSA
New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
TN asks Centre to release Rs 2,670 crore in pending dues
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has requested the union government to release pending dues amounting to Rs 2,670.64 crore. These dues relate to expenses incurred by the state for paddy procurement, rice fortification, and subsidies for ragi and sugar. Of the roughly 2.25 crore ration cards in Tamil Nadu, the cost of supplying rice through the Public Distribution System (PDS) to 1.12 crore cards (covering 3.6 crore beneficiaries) is fully borne by the centre under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Of the total outstanding dues of Rs 2,670.64 crore, a sum of Rs 2,181.88 crore has been carried over from the financial years 2016-17 to 2020-21. Additionally, Rs 431.55 crore is pending as subsidy for ration cards that were migrated within Tamil Nadu during the same period. In relation to the supply of fortified rice, the state government incurred an expenditure of Rs 244.06 crore, of which the centre has released only Rs 197.26 crore, leaving a balance of Rs 46.80 crore. Food and Civil Supplies Minister R Sakkarapani submitted a memorandum on this matter to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, on Wednesday. According to official sources, the centre disburses funds to the state at regular intervals under various heads, including procurement, milling, and distribution of rice through the PDS. These disbursals are based on claims submitted via the online portal
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Union MoS Khadse underlines youth, sports as key drivers of social upliftment during 'Poorvottar Sampark Setu' initiative in Sribhumi
Sribhumi (Assam) [India], June 26 (ANI): Continuing her whirlwind tour of the Northeast, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse arrived in Sribhumi on Thursday under the Centre's Poorvottar Sampark Setu outreach initiative--an ambitious programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deepen administrative ties and accelerate development across the region. During a robust one-day engagement in Sribhumi, Khadse chaired a review meeting with officials from 26 departments. She underlined youth and sports as key drivers of social upliftment and assured enhanced support for sports infrastructure and youth-centric initiatives. Fresh from inspections in Unakoti and a surprise visit to Agartala's Sports Authority of India (SAI) Sports Training Centre earlier this week, Khadse's Sribhumi visit brought into sharp focus the district's recent strides, as per a ministry press release. Meanwhile, the Khel Maharan 2.0 programme has galvanised 246,500 youth registrations across eight disciplines, from kabaddi to road cycling, highlighting sports' rising allure in rural Assam. During a robust one-day engagement in Sribhumi, Khadse chaired a review meeting with officials from 26 departments. The meeting brought into sharp focus the district's recent strides in agriculture, health, education, fisheries, and welfare schemes. On agriculture, Sribhumi has notched a 103 per cent saturation under PM-KISAN and surpassed the 126 per cent target for Sali paddy insurance enrolment through PMFBY. Food security is equally robust: nearly 97.9 per cent of allotted NFSA rice has reached more than one million beneficiaries. In health, 33,662 expectant mothers registered for antenatal care in 2024-25, with over 94 percent enrolling in their first trimester; departments are now tackling rising hypertension and anemia cases. On agriculture, Sribhumi notched a 103 percent saturation under PM-KISAN and surpassed 126 percent enrolment for Sali paddy insurance under PMFBY. Food security is equally robust: nearly 97.9 percent of allotted NFSA rice has reached more than one million beneficiaries. In health, 33,662 expectant mothers registered for antenatal care in 2024-25, with over 94 percent enrolling in their first trimester; departments are now tackling rising hypertension and anemia cases. Education officials reported 223,034 students enrolled across primary to higher secondary schools, with attendance holding steady at 72 per cent. Teacher presence remains high at 88 percent an encouraging sign as authorities push to close learning gaps. Fisheries underpin local livelihoods: last year's production of 19,430 MT, dominated by pond and tank yields, sustains nearly the entire population's dietary needs. 'Sribhumi exemplifies how committed governance and community energy can rewrite development narratives,' Khadse told reporters. 'From Unakoti's model schools to Agartala's athlete training and now Sribhumi's agricultural and health successes, we are one step closer to realising Modi ji's vision of a truly Viksit Bharat in the Northeast.' Looking ahead, the Minister urged district officials to fast-track pending household tap connections under Jal Jeevan Mission, shore up maternal-health infrastructure, and harness digital platforms for seamless Aadhaar-based payments which already stand at 96 percent coverage in rural livelihoods schemes. Her day in Sribhumi concluded with grassroots interactions--meeting members of civil society organisations to gather firsthand feedback on service delivery. As the Poorvottar Sampark Setu caravan moves on, Assam's northeastern hamlets remain firmly in the national spotlight. (ANI)
United News of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Modi Govt using technology to exclude vulnerable groups from welfare schemes: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi, June 23 (UNI) Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday accused the Modi government of systematically using technology to exclude the most vulnerable sections of society from accessing their rightful social welfare entitlements. In a post on X, the Rajya Sabha MP highlighted a series of technological measures which he claimed, have turned out to exclusionary in nature. 'Aadhaar was weaponised to block crores of workers from MGNREGA. Acid attack survivors had to battle in court just to enroll in Aadhaar. Adivasis across the country still lose rations to tech glitches,' he said. Ramesh also expressed concerns over the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) for delivering benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), warning that it could further become a hurdle for pregnant women. 'All over the world, evidence has emerged that FRT discriminates against class and colour of the skin,' he said. He also cited the failures of other technological platforms such as the Aadhaar-based Payment System (ABPS) and the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app. Ramesh pointed to findings from the 365th Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, which noted that the introduction of ABPS in the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) had severely impacted the ability of eligible pregnant and lactating women to receive benefits. 'The number of beneficiaries paid has dipped drastically, from 96 lakh women in FY19-20 to 27 lakh women in FY23-24,' he said. 'Still, the Modi government continues to introduce discriminatory technologies,' he said, adding that "Digital India should empower, not disempower". 'It must not remain a Preach Inclusion Practice Exclusion (PIPE) dream,' he added. UNI RBE RN
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Vulnerable communities in Gujarat struggle for access to ration, Anganwadi services: Survey
Even as malnutrition rates in Gujarat are rising among children, pregnant women, and adolescents, thousands of vulnerable individuals, including infants, and elderly are being denied access to Anganwadi services and ration due to stringent requirements such as Aadhaar linkage, Face ID authentication, and online registration, stated a survey report released on Saturday. The survey, carried out under Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan (ASAA) — a collective platform of people's organisations, institutions and activists working on the issue of food insecurity in the state — covered four districts of the state. The Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan, which translates to 'Right to Food Campaign', has been working in Gujarat since 2003. The campaign has been covering issues of ration, Anganwadi, and midday meals. On Saturday, organisations and activists fighting on these issues in different areas of Gujarat participated in the review meeting in Ahmedabad. The food security survey was conducted in Dahod, Panchmahal, Morbi and Bhavnagar districts in January 2025. A total of 1,261 households, including 321 from Bhavnagar, 356 from Dahod, 290 from Morbi and 294 from Panchmahal were included in the survey. According to the ASAA members, the sample for survey comprised members from the mahila sangathans with mostly belonging to marginalised communities as a 'deliberate attempt was made to include those with social vulnerabilities such as single women, disabled and the elderly'. The results are therefore not representative of Gujarat on average but give an indication of what is happening among some of the vulnerable communities across the state, said an ASAA member. 'These were the communities and families that the National Food Security Act (NFSA) was expected to help,' said Nitaben Hardikar from Anandi, a non-profit women organisation working in rural areas. According to the report, 'there are hundreds of children in villages who do not have birth certificates or Aadhaar cards and cannot be officially registered in Anganwadi, and therefore they remain deprived of Anganwadi services. This issue has been witnessed in many districts such as Panchmahal, Dahod, Banaskantha and Sabarkantha'. 'The infrastructure of Anganwadi is very poor. Anganwadi buildings are in a dilapidated condition and are unsafe for children. Also, there is a need to build a new Anganwadi in terms of the number of children aged 3 to 6 in the village,' stated the report. 'The Food Security Act provides a time-bound grievance redressal framework. But in Gujarat, when people from the vulnerable communities complain about not getting ration or getting less, or not getting access, they are pressured, and in the online complaint, 'the complaint is shown as disposed of without being resolved,' stated another Anand member Sejalben Dand. 'The primitive groups have got Antyodaya cards by law. But they are not given sufficient ration. If they complain, they are pressured,' added Dand. Declaring that in the coming days, the Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan will wage a 'collective fight on this issue', the members further added that even though the government resolution (GR) clearly provides that widows can get Antyodaya cards, women are 'denied these cards citing the examples of Maliya Mahila Shakti Sangathan and Devgadh Mahila Sangathan from Maliya'. The organisations are supposed to work for women welfare. 'Silicosis patients from Surendranagar and Morbi districts are also fighting for Antyodaya cards. While a few silicosis patients from Morbi's Thangadh got Antyodaya cards but Surendranagar's Dhrangadhra taluka, many patients were rejected. Silicosis does not come under the definition of a serious disease, they were told,' states the report. The report has also cited a few case studies, including one of Rangliben Nayak, a tribal woman from village Kakalpur, Devgadh Baria in Dahod district who had migrated to some other place for work and her family started facing difficulties in accessing food grains as their ration is tied to their village. While another case was of a widow, Meenaben Bachubhai Baariya who is a resident of Vav Lavariya village in Dahod's Devgadh Baria taluka. Her livelihood depends on daily wage farm labour. 'Currently, Meenaben has an APL (Above Poverty Line) ration card. However, as a widow she is eligible for an Antyodaya ration card. Occasionally, she has to ask for provisions from house to house or even go hungry, as she struggles to sustain herself without consistent income. Without an Antyodaya ration card, Meenaben faces significant difficulties in securing sufficient food. This pushes her further into poverty,' the report stated.
New Indian Express
20-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
TN govt turns down centre's order to distribute three months' ration at one go
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has turned down the union government's directive to distribute three months' entitlement of rice and wheat in advance to NFSA (National Food Security Act) cardholders. In May, the Union Food department had asked Tamil Nadu and other states to supply food grains for June, July, and August at one go to NFSA beneficiaries. It had directed the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to coordinate with the state government for advance lifting and distribution. The centre attributed the decision to the need to avoid losses due to adverse weather conditions and other factors. The directive from the Deputy Director of the Statistics division, Department of Food and Public Distribution, advised states to lift food grains in advance and ensure immediate distribution, citing the upcoming monsoon season and the anticipated logistical and storage challenges caused by adverse weather conditions such as floods. Sources from the FCI told TNIE that while the state government initially agreed to lift food grains in advance from the FCI, it later decided against the move. A few states, including Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, have already distributed three months' worth of rice at one go to beneficiaries. According to union government guidelines, the FCI is required to maintain sufficient food grain stocks to meet six months' demand. The proposed advance lifting is expected to enhance rice storage capacity and help minimise storage losses at warehouses. However, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection department has raised several practical challenges in implementing bulk distribution. It has informed the centre that the existing system of monthly distribution will continue for now.
