Govt to implement Food Safety Act

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI-M led LDF government in the state Thursday decided to implement the Food Safety Act in the state.

A Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also resolved to prepare a state-level priority list of beneficiaries as part of implementing the schemes under the Act.

New ration cards would be distributed to beneficiaries by December, an official release said.

As per the Act, 1,54,80,040 people were in the priority list in the state, of this 52.63 per cent was rural population and 39.5 per cent urban population.

It was decided to construct at least two government storehouses at block levels to make the food distribution trouble free, it said.

Operation of wholesale food depots would be handed over to the Civil Supplies Corporation in different stages.

A software was being developed by National Informatics Centre for monitoring the public distribution system, the release added.