UP govt's ridiculous excuse: Food scheme could not be implemented due to change in Centre

, Jun 27: The

government today said Food Security Act could not be implemented in the state yet due to confusion in the department arising from the formation of a new government at the Centre.

The state is yet to form a Food Security Commission to implement the Food Security Act 2013. "There was a state of confusion in the department and among officers after the formation of the new government at the Centre due to which Food Security Commission could not be constituted in the state yet," Food and Civil supplies minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya said in the state assembly.

"The deadline for the same was July 5 and it has been extended by three months. We will complete the process for implementation of the Act within the stipulated time," he said.

The matter was raised during Question Hour by Congress legislator Anugrah Narain Singh who sought to know about the constitution of Food Security Commission in the state to implement the Food Security Act 2013, the flagship programme of the previous UPA government.

The minister said the State government has written to the centre to increase the number of beneficiaries in Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyoday scheme. He said that increasing the number of beneficiaries was the discretion of the Centre and not the state due to which the state is bound to follow the numbers fixed by them.

PTI