Bihar will be able to launch Food Security Scheme by 2014: Nitish

Patna,(BiharTimes): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday that in spite of the fact that groundwork for launching the Food Security Scheme has started it could be implemented in the state only by 2014.

Talking to the media after weekly Janata Darbar he said identification of beneficiaries, increasing the number of PDS shops and setting up teams for monitoring and redressal of grievances needs to be done before launching the scheme.

He assured that the exercise is being carried on at much faster pace and thus it would be given a shape of law sometime next year.

Nitish said he wanted to make fool-proof arrangements before launching the scheme, which promises rice at Rs three per kg, wheat at Rs two per kg and millet at Rs one per kg to 84 percent of population in rural areas and 71 per cent in urban areas of Bihar.

He said the task for identification of beneficiaries has been entrusted to a committee which is carrying a Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) on the basis of which exclusion criteria would be decided.

The Committee is headed by Principal Secretary of Food department Shishir Sinha and is expected to finish the task in next four to six months.