Gogoi rolls out food security

Our Correspondent

Boko/ Rangiya, Dec 24: Two years after the then UPA government at the Centre ected the tiol Food Security Act, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today rolled out the scheme in Assam.

Under the scheme, rice will be available at Rs 3 a kg in the fair price shops.

Around 2.52 crore people - covering 84.17 per cent of rural population and 60.35 per cent of urban population - will be benefitted by the scheme, the government says. AAY ration card holder families will get 35 kg rice every month and other ration card holders (priority) families will get 5 kg rice against each member or person every month.

Addressing a mammoth gathering at Goroimari Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed College playground, Gogoi described the occasion as historic and said, "This scheme should have started last year, but as the Central government did not provide funds, it got delayed. The scheme will help around 2.5 crore ration card holders of Assam. This Act itself is a history as a single Act will help a large population of Assam." He said the government will try to bring down the price of the subsidized rice to Rs 2 in future.