GoGs asked to randomly check implementation of National Food Security Act

Awareness is must to sensitise people about their rights: Gursandeep Singh Grewal

5 Dariya News

Moga 09-Sep-2019

With an aim to safeguard the interests of the beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act-2013, Member of Punjab State Food Commission Gursandeep Singh Grewal on Monday, directed Guardians fo Governance (GoGs) to keep conducting random checks to ensure proper distribution of subsidised food grains to the household beneficiaries, mid-day meal to the Government school students and Anganwadi services.While addressing the awareness workshop organised at ISF College of Pharmacy at Ghal Kalan here, Gursandeep Grewal asked the GoGs to aware the people about their rights. “Once the public informed about their rights, they will obtain their rights by themselves,” he said.Grewal accompanied by Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Rajinder Batra was addressing district administrative officials, representatives of concerned department including Food and Civil Supplies, Education and Social Security, Woman and Child Development and GoGs.Grewal told the GoGs to conduct random checking at schools that whether the school authorities are providing quality food to the students according to their menu under mid-day meal besides also ensure the distribution of wheat to underprivileged people, supplement nutritional food to would-be mothers, lactating mothers and newborn children.As per the act, every person in priority household is entitled to receive five kg of food grains per person per month at a subsidised price from the state government under the Targeted Public Distribution System. Similarly, every pregnant woman and lactating mother shall be entitled to free meals during pregnancy and six months after the childbirth, through the local Anganwadi so as to meet the nutritional standards and maternity benefit of not less than Rs 6,000. Besides every child up to the age of 14 years shall have the entitlements for his nutritional needs through the local Anganwadi.Grewal said that GoGs will help to inform the beneficiaries of their rights and if they found any lapse in implementation of National Food Security Act at any level they should first warn the violator at their own level and if still, the situation remains same they should inform the ADC (D). He said if they are not satisfied with the system at the district-level, they can approach state commissioner to file an appeal against the decision of the ADC besides addressing complaints directly to the commission too.Meanwhile, ADC (D) Rajinder Batra administered a pledge to the present gathering to eradicate the malnutrition from the state.On the occasion, District Food and Supply Controller (DFSC) Gurpreet Singh Kang, District Programme Officer (DPO) Gurcharan Singh, Deputy District Education Officer (secondary) Rakesh Makkar, District head of GoG Colonel (retd) Balkar Singh, District Food Supply Officer (DFSO) Mandeep Singh, Coordinator Mid-Day Meal Baljit Singh, District Distribution Branch Head Inspector Pardeep Singh Brar and ISF College Chairman Parveen Garg among other prominent were present.