Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to withdraw or reconsider the proposed amendments to the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, stating that they could adversely affect lakhs of poor families in the state.
In his letter, Vijay expressed concern that the proposed changes would reduce the monthly food grain entitlement of nearly 70 lakh beneficiaries covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) in Tamil Nadu.
Under the existing system, each AAY family receives 35 kg of food grains per month. However, the proposed amendment seeks to provide 7 kg of food grains per person, subject to a maximum of 35 kg per household. Vijay argued that the change would disproportionately affect states like Tamil Nadu, where many beneficiary households have fewer members.
According to the Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu has 18.64 lakh AAY ration cards, benefiting 69.27 lakh people. If the amendment is implemented, the state’s monthly food grain allocation would decline from 65,261 metric tonnes to 42,040 metric tonnes, he said.
Vijay pointed out that rice is the staple food for the majority of people in Tamil Nadu and warned that any reduction in subsidised food grain allocation would increase the financial burden on economically weaker families while heightening the risk of hunger and malnutrition.
He urged the Central Government to continue the existing provision of supplying 35 kg of food grains per month to every AAY family, a system that has been in place since the implementation of the NFSA in 2013.