Megamenu

INTRODUCTION

Arunachal Pradesh State Food Commission of Arunachal Pradesh was constituted in April, 2016 which is a quasi-judicial functionary, to monitor and implement National Food Security Act, 2013, an act of Parliament that aims to provide food & Nutritional Security in human lifecycle at an affordable prices.

The Commission’s priorities drawn was to start awareness campaign to educate the sections of NFSA-13 and its implementation through physical awareness campaign in the district, sub-division and local councils including spot inspection of FPS, cooperative stores, MDM schools, Anganwadi centers and family welfare centers.

The awareness campaign started to the districts, Sub-divisions and local bodies. Officials were explained about each and every section of NFSA-13 Act and major thrust was given on transparency and accountability while rendering human and essential services under NFSA-13 Act. Within a year the Commission had covered half of the total districts of the State.

A good numbers of Co-ordination meetings with the district heads, nodal department heads were held in different districts. A number of Co-ordination meetings with the nodal departments like FCI, Directorate of Food and Civil Supplies, Director of Family Welfare department, Directorate of Women and Child Development department and Director of Elementary Education department were held at Itanagar to discuss problems and bottlenecks in all the NFSA-13 schemes and to bring out solutions and rectification. Many officers spoke about communication bottlenecks, problems of Aadhaar seeding, climatic conditions, untimely payment of margin money and contractors payments, lack of uniformity and lack of testing lab, manpower, as the principal problems being faced during the implementation of NFSA-13 schemes.

The Commission dealt in length the detailed monitoring guidelines vide section 6 of the NFSA-13.

Targetted Public Distribution System & PMGKY

Emphasis were given on the following points :-


1. Whether PDS bags are properly sealed and checked by quality checking officer and items are properly weighed before being received from FCI godowns and name of the contractors and the officer delegated from the district HQs are enlisted.
2. Whether the same guidelines are applied while being received by the FPS owners from the state godowns.
3. Stock register, sale or issue register are properly maintained and audited or not and guidelines are properly followed especially social Audit, local body audit, vigilance verification etc.
4. Whether items are properly weighed before distribution to the targeted beneficiaries by the FPS owners or proper verification of the ration cards is done before distribution.
5. Whether display board contains the following guidelines :
    i) Name of the Shop and registration No.
    ii) Phone No. of DGRO & DFCSO of the district.
    iii) Time and Date of opening of FPS
    iv) Display of instruction on the board as per Section 10 Para II & IV of the NFSA-13
6. Violators of NFSA-13 guidelines are brought to book in the Court of DGRO and failing to solve the grievances is referred to State Food Commission for final hearing.

Hundreds of FPS were inspected and some complaints/hearings were done in the districts by DGROs. Many soiled , unsealed bags, were unloaded from the loaded trucks and returned to FCI godowns. Some complaints in the distribution of free rice under PMGKYA were resolved with the Commission’s interventions. Adequate funds for Margin money of the FPS owners and the contractors’ payment are some of the major hindrance in implementation of the scheme. Management during inevitable climatic condition and lack of road communication or bad weather conditions are matters of concern which have to be resolved by proper verification and coordinated intervention.

ICDS (Women and Child Development) department.

Emphasis is given to see :-


1. Attendance of the children improving or declining.
2. Attendance of the Pregnant/lactating women improving or declining.
3. The quality and quantity of the food being provided to the children are checked and its acceptability by the children examined.
4. Whether food items are properly cooked and tasted before serving the children and fortified with vegetables and other vitamins rich supplements.
5. Whether the children are given lessons on health, hygiene, sanitation and nutrition.
6. Whether the Anganwadi centers is attached with storage and toilet facilities. And if any, whether cleanliness maintained with proper water supply.
7. Whether proper implementation of PMMVY schemes to pregnant ladies/lactating mothers,and their installments are properly and timelypaid.
8. Whether distribution of IFA and other supplements for Pregnant and Lactating mothers are timely and periodically distributed and properly checked before distribution.
9. Sources of fund and its expenditure with all transparency and accountability.

Hundreds of AWCs in the remote and urban areas have been physically inspected. Most of the centers are lacking storage and toilet facilities with unhygienic surroundings. The child and pregnant and lactating mother in Anganwadi centers are supposed to learn about sanitation, health and nutritional benefits of the food items provided, otherwise our objectives will be defeated. Health of the Society rests in the health of the children and pregnant women. NFSA-13 is not to kill hunger but to sustain better growth and better well being. The environment of the centers should be healthy and innovative.

There are constraints on the way of implementation also- like surface communication bottleneck, transportation problem including telecommunication, low education standardof Anganwadi workers, lack of accredited food testing laboratories, insufficient manpower in the districts & sub-division level etc. for which the Commission has already recommended to the Govt. for an early solution.

Mid-day Meal (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Yojana)

Emphasis is given to overview whether :


1. the place of kitchen is in a proper hygienic area and the cook are with proper uniform and masks.
2. the hot cooked meal is tested by the school authority and the cook before distribution to the children.
3. the meals are fortified with vitamins and minerals rich vegetables.
4. the place of dining is under proper dining shed to avoid food poisoning.
5. there are toilet facilities and whether its cleanliness are maintained to avoid food poisoning.
6. the display board are properly maintained.
7. the cooks are properly paid.
8. the kitchen garden is properly maintained.
9. there is proper storage facilities to avoid damage to the food items.
10. The funds have been properly utilized with full transparency and accountability.
11. the attendance of the school improved or not which is an important objective of the scheme.

More than hundreds of MDM schemes were inspected physically. Many schools have no dining sheds. Many schools have not maintained cleanliness of the toilet and water supply is not proper. Many have no proper kitchen and they cook outside in the open. Unclean toilets, open dining and open cooking may invite food contamination and may come in the form of food poisoning in minor or severe form. There is no accredited testing laboratory in the state. Central kitchen are better maintained then the general kitchens. Use of gas is better, hygienic and cheaper.

Some complaints in some areas were heard and solved by the DGROs in the districts.

Recommendation to the Govt.vide Section 6(C)of the NFSA-13.

The Commission has recommended vide letter No.APSFC/IV/31 dtd 23rd Dec, 2020, U.O.No.APSFC/04/32/21 dtd 3rd June, 2021 and the minutes of the meeting dated 24th Feb, 2021, to bring about remedies of the bottlenecks during implementation of NFSA-13 schemes. Our Govt. is taking serious note of the Commission’s recommendation to bring forth a transparent and corruption free NFSA-13 schemes. The Commission is confident that our co-ordinated actions and the cooperation of the Govt. will bring fruits for a sustainable NFSA-13 scheme and make sure that justice prevails.

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