Implementation of the National Food Security Act in the Valley has ironically led to greater anxiety about availability of cheap rice. Riyaz Wani finds out why.
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It might not sound like much, but ration card holders in Jammu and Kashmir will now get 7 kilograms of rice per head instead of 5 kg from the public distribution system (PDS). This is much less than the 35 kg per card that was the norm laid down earlier. The additional 2 kg food grains per head will be provided to a family of up to six members from 1 April and will be funded by the state government.
The enhanced rations were the result of restiveness in the Valley against the provisions of the National Food Security Act (NFSA). On 22 March, a complete shutdown was observed in parts of downtown Srinagar against the legislation. Shops and other business establishments remained shuttered. Angry citizens erected barricades on the roads, affecting vehicular movement. Protestors chanted anti-NFSA and antigovernment slogans.
Venting anger against NFSA has become a regular feature of life in the Valley ever since the late chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed decided to implement the central law in December 2015. In doing so, Mufti went against the predominant public opinion in the state, particularly in the Valley, where rice is the staple food.
However, Mufti had little option. The Centre, annoyed by several missed deadlines for the implementation of NFSA, had warned that the states which fail to implement the legislation by the end of 2015 would have to lift PDS grain at minimum support prices (MSPs) far higher than the current rates.
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