Give it up! Daimary echoes Modi's call

SUBSIDIZED RICE UNDER NFSA

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Aug 11: Prime Minister rendra Modi's innovative ideas seem to have found some takers in the BJP-led dispensation at Dispur. To those who can afford to pay the full price of cooking gas cylinders, the PM has been appealing that they should give up subsidized cylinders. In April this year, the PM proudly revealed that as many as 1 crore households have responded positively to his 'Give It Up' call, which would lead to huge savings in subsidy that can be utilized for welfare of the poor.

Echoing PM Modi's call, Assam Food and Civil Supplies minister Rihon Daimary has appealed to the people with income above Rs 1 lakh per annum to give up lifting rice at subsidized rate by surrendering their tiol Food Security cards. He said surrendering of cards by people who can afford to do so would help the State government re-issue tiol Food Security cards among more poor people who are yet to come under the government's food security net.

The Minister said as many as 5,000 people from all over the State have already surrendered their cards and many others are responding positively to the appeal.

Talking to The Sentinel, Daimary said, "After taking charge, I have found that many people who are in need of having the tiol Food Security cards to get rice at subsidized rates, are actually deprived of it, while the 'affluent' class or those who can afford to buy rice at open market are availing of this benefit. So I appeal to those who can afford to surrender their cards, to do so or else legal action will be taken against them by the government."

The minister, however, said the issuance of tiol Food Security cards had been started during the Congress regime in the State and a large number of cards found their way into the hands of those who can afford to buy rice without subsidy. "We will now re-issue the surrendered cards to genuine beneficiaries," he added.

Under the tiol Food Security Act (NFSA), beneficiaries will be entitled to receive 5 kg of rice per person per month at subsidized price of Rs 3 per kg.