Chief Minister Joseph Vijay writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing proposed amendment to Food Security Act

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Monday appealed to the Union government to maintain the existing entitlement of 35 kilograms of food grains for each household under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), irrespective of the number of family members, as has been the case since the enactment of the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Mr. Vijay requested the Center to reconsider the proposed amendment to the first provision of sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the National Food Security Act, 2013.

“If the proposed amendment is brought into force without amendment, the food security of approximately 70 lakh most vulnerable citizens of Tamil Nadu will be reduced,” he said in the letter, a copy of which was distributed to the media.

The Prime Minister noted that the current provision guarantees 35 kilograms of food grains per household every month, regardless of family size, while the proposed amendment aims to provide 7 kilograms per person per month, subject to the general ceiling of 35 kilograms per household.

While the Union government said the amendment was aimed at eliminating intra-category inequalities and aligning entitlements more with nutritional needs, it said its practical impact would be a significant reduction in the amount of foodgrains reaching the poorest households in Tamil Nadu, where the average family size is just 3.54 people.

Tamil Nadu currently has 18,64,600 AAY ration cards covering 69,26,983 beneficiaries. These households belong to the most vulnerable sections of society as defined under the Government of India’s eligibility guidelines, including families of widows, persons with disabilities, elderly without a regular source of income, tribal families, landless agricultural labourers, daily wage earners and those suffering from life-threatening diseases.

“These are the households that the National Food Security Act is designed to protect through an assured and unconditional entitlement. The Act was passed by Parliament as a last resort protection measure for the poorest and its powers are framed to be deliberately simple, unconditional and household-based so that no family, regardless of size, remains deprived of adequate foodgrains or suffers from hidden hunger and malnutrition,” Mr. Vijay said.

He argued that converting this entitlement to per capita assistance while maintaining a ceiling at the household level would effectively penalize States with smaller family sizes, especially those States that had successfully implemented the Union government’s family planning program in South India.

Mr. Vijay noted that Tamil Nadu has consistently maintained a robust and efficiently managed Public Distribution System and has expanded scope and powers beyond the Central norms where necessary to reflect its long-standing commitment to eradicate hunger and ensure nutritional security.

He also pointed out that Tamil Nadu is a predominantly rice consuming state and rice provided to AAY beneficiaries forms the staple food for all three meals of the day.

“This cannot be replaced by any other good purchased on the open market. Any reduction in rights will place a significant financial burden on these families, pushing them into poverty, malnutrition and hunger,” he said.