Kohima, Jun 28 (UNI) The Nagaland government today finally launched the much-awaited ‘National Food Security Act’ (NFSA) 2013, after a gap of three years, at the Directorate of Food and Civil Supplies (F&CS) in Dimapur. According to official sources, Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang, who also holds the F&CS portfolio, remarked that the launching of NFSA 2013 was a landmark event in the State’s history. Mr Zeliang informed that delay in implementation of the Food Security Act in Nagaland was due to unfavourable funding pattern and various logistical issues such as lack of infrastructure, lack of godowns in most districts of the State, lack of power backup, digitization process and constitution of State Food Commission, vigilance committees, and grievances redress mechanism at the district level. He was, however, optimistic saying it was “better late than never”, and called upon all stakeholders, particularly the beneficiaries, to actively participate at all levels for the successful implementation of the Act. Mr Zeliang also highlighted the incorporation of technology in the Act to ensure transparency from top to bottom. The chief minister later distributed PHH cards to women beneficiaries of Dimapur. Speaking on the occasion, Food and Civil Supplies director, Alun Hangsing stated that the Act would greatly benefit a large number of the population. He informed that under the Act, beneficiaries of Priority Household (PHH) would be provided 5 kg of subsidized food grains per head at Rs 3 per kg for rice and Rs 2 for wheat in the ratio of 4:1. NFSA 2013 would also cover 78.83 per cent of the rural populace and 61.98 per cent of the urban populace in the State. Mr Hangsing informed that the department, from top to bottom, was fully mobilized to achieve the target of providing highly subsidized food grains to the beneficiaries. Informing that both Above poverty Line (APL) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) beneficiaries have been amalgamated under the name of Priority Household as per the Act, the director said, the department had 2,37,434 households with an increase of 44,464 households with female members as head of family in the PHH ration card covering 11,93,922 individual beneficiaries. Together with 2,12,034 Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries, the department would cover 14,05,956 beneficiaries, he added. UNI AS AD JW SV NS1203