Maharashtra to launch food scheme in Dec, says minister

Nagpur: Maharashtra government is all set to roll out the ambitious food security scheme in the state from early December which will benefit about 7.17 crore people, a state minister has said. This includes 4.70 crore people in the rural areas (76.32 per cent) and 2.30 crore in urban areas (45.34 per cent). [caption id=“attachment_1059433” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] Two new ration cards, besides the existing ones, were being issued to the beneficiaries and as per the new proposed Food Security Act, the woman in the house will be the head of the family instead of man, Maharashtra minister for food and civil supplies Anil Deshmukh told reporters here yesterday. Besides, the food and civil supplies, women and childwelfare,(integrated child development) and school education (mid day meals) departments will be partners in the implementation of the scheme. The scheme will provide much needed relief to small children, malnourished children and women, he said. With the introduction of the new food security scheme, about 7.17 crore population will be benefited as against the present one crore. The state government will be providing 35 kg of food grains to the cardholders which includes wheat at Rs two and rice at Rs three per kg. The state will incur an expenditure to the tune of Rs 800 crores per month for implementing the historic scheme, Deshmukh said. The government was constructing 584 godowns having a capacity of 5.95 lakh metric tonnes to store the food grains, at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crores, he added. PTI