Food Security Act deadline unrealistic, Jayalalithaa tells PM
Jayalalithaa said TN has been successfully implementing a universal PDS for the last several decades
Chennai: Reiterating apprehensions over implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA), Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has appealed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to suspend the implementation of NFSA and extend the deadline to identify the beneficiaries by two years.
In a detail letter addressed to the PM, Ms. Jayalalithaa said that the time limit of September 30 to implement NFSA in Tamil Nadu was completely unrealistic considering the fact that district-wise break-up data under the Socio Economic Census was yet to be made available.
"Also, we have taken-up the process of end to end computerization of the public distribution system, cleaning-up the family card data base and the process of seeding the family card base with Aadhaar numbers. Only after this process is completed will it be possible to identify the priority households under the NFSA".
The CM also stressed that the Centre should first address the concerns and key suggestions made by the Tamil Nadu government ever since 2013 about several loose ends in the NFSA before imposing it on the State. Ms. Jayalalithaa said TN has been successfully implementing a universal PDS for the last several decades and would like not to be disturbed.