Patna,(BiharTimes): Alleging that the Nitish Kumar government has failed in effectively implementing the National Food Security Act in Bihar Union Food Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan, said that about 1.11 crore eligible people have been left out under it in the state. Thus they are deprivd of the subsidized foodgrains entitled under this Act.

According to him about 8.71 crore people are covered under the food law in Bihar but the state government has so far provided the list of about 7.61 crore beneficiaries. Speaking at a conference here on implementation of National Food Security Act in Shri Krishan Memorial Hall he said instead of 30 lakh tonnes only 18 lakh tonnes foodgrains have till now been procured in Bihar. Here FCI can not buy without the consent of the state government.

Referring to the unseasonal rain the minister said the Centre is ready to relax quality norms for wheat procurement if the Bihar government seeks such relief in writing.The National Food Security Act was passed during the rule of UPA-II and the Bihar government announced its implementation in March 2014.

But, according to Ram Vilas, it is not implementing the Act properly.The NFSA aims at providing legal entitlement to 5 kg of subsidised foodgrains––rice, wheat and coarse grains––per person per month at Rs 1 to 3/kg to two-thirds of the country’s population.

According to reports only 11 states and Union Territories have so far implemented the Act which was passed by Parliament in September 2013. The rest 25 states/UTs have not implemented it yet. This includes several BJP or NDA ruled ones.

Paswan also criticised the Bihar government for boycotting this meet. State Food Minister, Shyam Rajak, was supposed to attend it.

Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav, senior BJP leaders Sushil Kumar Modi and Nand Kishore Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan’s son, Chirag Paswan and others also spoke on the occasion.