Ward and colony leaders asked to identify beneficiaries for NFSA

Principal Correspondent
KOHIMA, APRIL 16

A consultative meeting on the implementation of National Food Security Act, 2013 of Kohima district administration, ward panchayats, Kohima Municipal Council and Department of Food & Civil Supplies Kohima was held at Zonal Council Hall here today.Assistant Director, Food & Civil Supplies, Kapenlo Thong briefed the gathering about the Act, after which discussion was held towards its implementation.
The issue of verification/ identification of additional beneficiaries under the Act was discussed while the ward panchayat leaders and GBs were asked to properly identify the beneficiaries.
The identification and verification process will commence within this month and has to be completed by first week of May, he informed.
Thong also informed that under the Act, there will be no more ABL/BLP beneficiaries but only Priority Households, however the AAY beneficiaries will continue to receive their monthly allocation as per the scheme.
It may be mentioned here that in pursuance of the NFSA 2013, the government of Nagaland has approved for its implementation in the state.
The eligible priority households would be entitled to receive five kgs of food grains per person per month either @ Rs. 3 per kg of rice or Rs. 2 per kg of wheat.
The implementation of the Act would commence only after the completion of identification of eligible priority households in the state.
Highlighting the criteria of inclusion and exclusion of beneficiaries, he said the households having an annual family income of Rs. 1.5 lakh or less and falling under the following category will be considered for inclusion under priority households: vulnerable and marginalized section of the people infected with HIV+ and duly registered and certified by NSACS; households with a disabled person as head of the household, (as defined in persons with Disabilities Act 1995) subjected to submission of prescribed certificate by a competent medical authority; single women (including widows, unmarried, divorced and deserted women); homeless and destitute households; Occupationally vulnerable groups like Casual Domestic workers, Unskilled Workers, Casual Labourers, Rickshaw and Cart-pullers, Marginal Farmers, Vegetable Vendors, Rag-pickers etc. will also be included under Priority Households; He/She should be a bonafide citizen of India and a permanent resident of Nagaland and salaried employees (Public/ Private Sectors) falling below the income bar as mentioned above.
The exclusion criteria are: any member of a household possessing a four wheeler; household receiving ration/food subsidy under any schemes; and any member of the household who is an employee of central/state government with an annual income of more than Rs 1.5 lakh.