The government has established a food secretariat to review community kitchen program practices
The government on Thursday set up a group of food secretaries from the states that will discuss the framework of the community kitchen plan.
Food secretaries from eight states, Kerala, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam, Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh form the group while Madhya Pradesh’s food secretary will lead.
The Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal announced the formation of the group while chairing a meeting of the states’ food ministers to find out ways to build community kitchen plan as well as the national food grid.
Mr. Goyal said the plan would have to be simple, transparent and beneficial to the people.
“We should have empathy for the poor of the country and need to ensure a shared determination to implement successful and transparent food programs to ensure proper nutrition for children,” he said during the meeting. em.
The food ministers of the states attending the meeting included Bihar, Gujarat, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and union territory Puducherry among others.
Official sources say the next officer-level meeting will be held on November 29 to deliberate on the framework proposal.
Mr. Goyal said during the meeting that during the pandemic, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) has proved useful to more than 80 beneficiaries, because through it, free food grains have been provided. for them and there is no shortage of food in the country.
On Wednesday, the union cabinet scrapped the extension of the plan until March 2022.
Referring to the meeting, the minister said that the meeting was held under the direction of the Supreme Court.
Other issues discussed during the meeting included a review of the implementation of the “One Country One Ration” (ONORC) program and Aadhaar seeding ration cards.
Hearing a written petition filed by activists Anun Dhawan, Ishann Dhawan and Kunjana Singh praying for the establishment of a community kitchen and the establishment of a national food grid, the Supreme Court ordered the government on November 16 holds a three-week policy meeting and framework.
