NEW DELHI: Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday called on the government to complete the population census at the earliest, saying that around 14 crore people in the country are being deprived of benefits under the food security law.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during her first Zero Hour intervention, Gandhi pointed out that the beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) are being identified based on the 2011 Census rather than the most current population data.
Gandhi described the NFSA, introduced by the UPA government in September 2013, as a crucial initiative aimed at ensuring food and nutritional security for the country’s population of 140 crore. “The National Food Security Act (NFSA) introduced by the UPA government in September 2013 was a landmark initiative aimed at ensuring food and nutritional security to the country’s 140 crore population. This legislation plays a crucial role in protecting millions of vulnerable households, particularly during the Covid 19 crisis. It is this act that provides the basis for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana,” the former Congress president said.
She also mentioned that the quota for beneficiaries is still based on the 2011 Census, which is now over a decade old. The NFSA provides coverage for up to 75 percent of the rural population and 50 percent of the urban population to receive highly subsidized foodgrains through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). Based on the 2011 Census, this amounts to about 81.35 crore people.
Currently, the government provides 5 kg of free foodgrains per person per month under the food security law.
“For the first time in the history of independent India, the decennial census has been delayed by more than four years. It was originally scheduled for 2021, but there is still no clarity as to when the census will be conducted,” Gandhi said.
She also pointed out that Budget allocations suggest that the updated census is unlikely to be completed this year.
As a result, around 14 crore eligible Indians are not receiving the benefits they are entitled to under the NFSA, Gandhi added.
“It is imperative that the government prioritises completion of the census as soon as possible and ensures that all deserving individuals receive the benefits guaranteed to them under the NFSA. Food security is not a privilege. It is a fundamental right,” the former Congress chief stated.
The government has extended the distribution of free foodgrains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for five more years, starting from January 1, 2024.
The Budget Session of Parliament began on January 31, with President Droupadi Murmu delivering the inaugural address.
The first part of the session will continue till February 13. The second part will reconvene on March 10 and conclude on April 4.