Union Minister C R Choudhary has assured Arunachal Pradesh of enhancing the fair price shop (FPS) dealers' margin and transportation rate for food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Mosang submitted a 10-point memorandum, raising several issues concerning the state, including the implementation of the NFSA and "other challenges".
"Presently, the FPS dealers' margin is Rs 143 per quintal, which needs to be enhanced to Rs 200 per quintal for the viability of running in remote locations. Moreover, a flat Rs 100 per quintal is fixed by the Centre for transportation of NFSA food grains, out of which the Centre and the state's matching share is in the ratio of 75:25," he said.
Mosang said this "forces" the state to bear the remaining Rs 252 per quintal against the actual transportation cost of Rs 327 per quintal to deliver food grains from the FCI base depots to the FPS.
Choudhary promised allocation of food grains under the welfare scheme for educational institutions at an increased scale, to cater to 84,391 ST, SC and OBC students, the release said.
The minister also assured more funds for construction of godowns for advance storage of food grains.
Choudhury advised the state government to send a proposal for heli-lifting of NFSA food grains to 14 air-fed administrative circles in Arunachal Pradesh, after Mosang submitted said that there was no surface communication in the international border areas of the state.
"The people residing along the international border areas are facing acute shortage of food grains as these places are not climatically suitable for cultivation, and there are no open market facilities and other sources of food grains," he had submitted in the memorandum.
Mosang said heli-lifting of food grains in such areas would also stop them from migrating to the district headquarters and other urban areas, "as their migration would leave the international border with no inhabitants, which would be detrimental to national security".
The Union minister said the Arunachal Pradesh government should avail of the open market sale scheme to mitigate the ever-growing demand for food grains in the state.
He advised the state government to prepare separate proposals for food grains required in the event of natural calamities, during law and order situations, and local festivals, the release added.
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