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Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday slammed the government over the delay in conducting the census which has been delayed by more than four years saying that it had led to 14 crore eligible citizens to get the benefit of the National Food Security Act.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Sonia Gandhi, pointed out that the NFSA was introduced by the UPA government in September 2013, and was a landmark initiative aimed at ensuring food and nutritional security for the country’s 140 crore population.
The Congress leader also highlighted that the NFSA played a crucial role in protecting millions of households from starvation, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis.
“This Act provided the basis for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana,” she said.
Sonia Gandhi also said that under the NFSA, 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population are entitled to receive subsidized food grains.
“However, the quota for beneficiaries is still determined based on the 2011 Census,” she said.
Taking a jibe at the BJP-led NDA government over delay in conducting Census, Sonia Gandhi said, “For the first time in independent India’s history, the Census has been delayed for more than four years. Originally scheduled for 2021, there is still no clarity on when it will be conducted.”
“As a result, around 14 crore eligible Indians are being deprived of their rightful benefits under the NFSA. It is imperative that the government prioritizes the completion of the Census as soon as possible,” the Congress leader said, adding that food security is not a privilege but a fundamental right.
Congress on several occasions had questioned the government over the delay in conducting the census.
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