New Delhi: The Union government has initiated steps to amend the National Food Security Act, 2013, paving the way for major changes in the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), a scheme meant for the country's poorest families.
Under the existing system, every Antyodaya household holding a yellow ration card receives 35 kg of food grains free of cost every month, regardless of the number of family members. The proposed amendment seeks to replace this arrangement with a per-person entitlement system.
If implemented, each beneficiary would receive 7 kg of food grains per month. However, the maximum quantity available to a family would remain capped at 35 kg. The Centre argues that the revised formula would help ensure more accurate identification of beneficiaries and streamline the distribution process under the scheme.
The move, however, has triggered strong opposition, with critics alleging that the proposed changes amount to a dilution of food security protections available to the country's most vulnerable sections. Opposition parties have indicated that they will resist the amendment, arguing that it could adversely affect the food rights of poor families covered under the programme.
The controversy is not new. The Centre had attempted to introduce a similar amendment in 2017 and even released a draft proposal, but the plan could not move forward amid strong resistance.
With the government reviving the proposal, the issue is expected to generate significant debate both inside and outside Parliament. As the amendment directly concerns benefits available to the poorest households, the government's attempt to alter the distribution mechanism is likely to face intense political scrutiny in the coming months.