Food security, as defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.
The growing adverse impacts of climate change has severely hit the food security of many areas of world.
To ensure food security to poor masses of the country in an important decision, Government of India has made distribution of food grains to NFSA beneficiaries free of cost from January, 1st this year.
The Union Cabinet some days back decided to provide free foodgrains to all 81 crore beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) for one year. The beneficiary families which used to pay ₹1 for coarse cereals, ₹2 for wheat and ₹3 for rice per kg will now get 35kg of food grains free for the next one year and others will get 5kg for free in a month till December 2023. The Centre has estimated an additional amount of ₹2 lakh crore for the scheme.
Till now under NFSA, subsidized food grains were being distributed at Rs 3 per kg for rice, Rs. 2 per kg for wheat and Rs. 3 per kg for wheat flour to NFSA beneficiaries under PDS in Jammu & Kashmir.
The Central Government has now decided to provide free of cost foodgrains, rice and wheat, to all NFSA beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) for one year, effective from 1st January, 2023.
The poor people of Jammu and Kashmir would also benefit.
The Department of Food & Public Distribution in J&K is commencing free distribution of food grains (rice and wheat) to all NFSA beneficiaries from 1st January, 2023 across Jammu and Kashmir.
One hopes all the steps would be taken to strengthen food security across country and also in Jammu and Kashmir. It is also hoped that poor people would be aptly identified in Jammu and Kashmir, and free ration reaches them.
The expert pulse is that
Access to quality, nutritious food is fundamental to human existence. Secure access to food can produce wide ranging positive impacts, including: Economic growth and job creation. Poverty reduction. The biggest benefit is that free food products supply to masses can end the monster of hunger and starvation.
