Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Monday asked the government to complete a population census at the earliest, claiming that around 14 crore people in the country are being deprived of the benefits under the food security law.
In her maiden Zero Hour intervention in the Rajya Sabha, Gandhi said beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) are being identified as per the 2011 Census, and not the latest population numbers.
The senior Congress leader called the NFSA introduced by the UPA government in September 2013 a landmark initiative aimed at ensuring food and nutritional security for the country's 140 crore population.
The legislation, Gandhi said, played a crucial role in protecting millions of vulnerable households from starvation, particularly during the Covid-19 crisis.
She also said that the quota for the beneficiaries is still determined based on the 2011 Census, which is now well over a decade old.
The National Food Security Act, 2013, provides for coverage of up to 75 per cent of the rural and up to 50 per cent of the urban population for receiving highly-subsidised foodgrains under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), which according to 2011 Census comes to about 81.35 crore.
At present, the government provides 5 kg of free foodgrains per person per month under the food security law.
"For the first time in the history of independent India, the decennial census has been delayed by more than four years. It was originally scheduled for 2021, but there is still no clarity as to when the census will be conducted," she said.
Gandhi also claimed that the Budget allocations show that the updated census is unlikely to be conducted this year.
Around 14 crore eligible Indians are thus being deprived of their rightful benefits under the NFSA, she said.
"It is imperative that the government prioritises completion of the census as soon as possible and ensures that all deserving individuals receive the benefits guaranteed to them under the NFSA. Food security is not a privilege. It is a fundamental right," the former Congress chief said.
The period for distribution of free foodgrains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) has been extended for five years from January 1, 2024.