Senior Congress leader and party parliamentary party president Sonia Gandhi on Monday raised the demand for a census as soon as possible so that all eligible persons could get guaranteed benefits under the Food Safety Act.
Raising this issue during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, he also said that food security is not a fundamental right of citizens but a fundamental right.
He said that the National Food Security Act introduced by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was a historic initiative to ensure food and nutrition security for a 140 million population.
He said that this law played an important role in protecting millions of weaker families from starvation, especially during the crisis of Kovid 19 epidemic as well as the same act gave the basis to the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana.
Gandhi said that under the Food Safety Act, 75 percent of the villagers as well as 50 percent of urban population are entitled to subsidized food grains.
He said that although the quota for the beneficiaries is still determined on the basis of the 2011 census, which is now more than a decade.
He said, “For the first time in the history of independent India, there has been a delay of more than 4 years in the census. Originally it was scheduled for 2021 but still there is no clarity on when the census will be held. ”
Gandhi said that budget allocation has revealed that the census is unlikely to be held this year.
He said, “Thus about 14 crore eligible Indians are being denied their proper benefits under the Food Safety Act. It is necessary that the government give priority to complete the census at the earliest and ensure that all eligible persons get guaranteed benefits under the Food Safety Act. ”
He said, “Food security is not a privilege, a fundamental right.”
