Telangana sets up food commission to monitor Food Security Act

Hyderabad: The TS government on Saturday constituted the State Food Commission that will monitor and evaluate the implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013.

The panel has a five-year tenure and will consist of a chairperson, five members and a member-secretary. The commission will have the powers of a civil court while conducting inquiries into anomalies in the distribution of food grains.

The commission can take up complaints either suo motu or on receipt of complaint to inquire into violations of entitlements provided in the Act. It can make suggestions to the state government on effective implementation of the Act, give suggestions to the state government and its agencies, autonomous bodies as well as non-governmental organisations involved in delivery of relevant services for the effective implementation of food and nutrition related schemes. This will help in enabling individuals to fully access their entitlement specified in the Act.

Besides, the panel can hear appeals against orders of the district grievance redressal officer and prepare annual reports which will be laid before the state Legislature. The commission will also have the power to forward any case to a magistrate having jurisdiction. The president of TS Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission will be the chairperson of commission.

The government prescribed that there should be at least two women and one member each from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the commission. The government has designated the District Rural Development Officer as District Grievance Redressal Officer for each district.

Any complainant or the officer or authority against whom any order has been passed by the DGRO, who is not satisfied with the redressal of grievance may file an appeal against such order before the commission within 30 days from the receipt of the order.