Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday renewed his suggestion to exclude government officials belonging to Class I and Class II and Income Tax payees from the ambit of the public distribution system (PDS).
Speaking to journalists at the office of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) here, Mr. Paswan said the system of family cards had not been properly executed in many of the 11 States that had agreed to implement the National Food Security Act. He, however, complimented Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh for having put a good system in place.
Giving the example of his home State of Bihar, he said the Union Planning Commission concluded that 85 per cent in rural areas and 74 per cent in urban areas were entitled to be covered under the law. (At the all-India level, the coverage is 75 per cent in rural areas and 50 per cent in urban areas. In Tamil Nadu, the figures are 48 per cent and 37 per cent]
Instead of trying to identify members of the weaker sections, such as rickshaw pullers and porters, for the purpose of extending benefits of the law, those who are better off could be excluded initially. It was in that context that he mentioned Class I and II officials and the IT payees.
The identification of beneficiaries was essential as each individual was entitled to five kg of foodgrains per month at subsidised rates, Mr. Paswan explained.
To drive home the importance of setting up a fool-proof database of beneficiaries, the Union Minister pointed out that when the Kerala Food Minister [Anoop Jacob] recently conveyed to him that his State wanted to implement the law from November 1, he [Mr. Paswan] asked him whether the list of beneficiaries was ready. The reply was in the negative.
As for Tamil Nadu, which was one of the States that had not yet decided on implementing the Act, he said the card system was in place and 1.8 crore families were getting rice free of cost.
Mr. Paswan said States had been given powers to identify the beneficiaries. To another question, he could not say whether the latest extension of deadline for the implementation of the Act was the last. As part of the latest extension, States would have time till April.
