The Governor of Maharashtra, Vidyasagar Rao, has amended the National Food Security Act to provide eggs to all children four times a week, and hot cooked meals to all pregnant and lactating women in the State (in lieu of THR), in all the Scheduled Areas of the state. This has been done vide the (rarely exercised) extra-ordinary powers that Governors enjoy with respect to the tribal areas in a State which allows them to amend any national or state law in the interests of the tribal communities. He had similarly amended the Forest Rights Act recently.

maharashtra_governor_nfsa-amendments

editwebchildhoods-kCc--621x414@LiveMintModifications   to   the   National   Food   Security   Act, 2013

(i)   In   section   4   in   clause  (a),—

(a)    the word “ meal ” shall be replaced by “ Hot cooked meal, including,    eggs ” ;

(b)   the word “  and  ”  appearing  at  the  end  of  clause  (a)  shall  be     deleted.

(c)   the   following   proviso   shall   be   added  :

“ Provided that the State Government shall make adequate financial provisions to meet the additional expenditure to be incurred in Scheduled Areas while providing hot cooked meal to lactating and pregnant women;   and ” ;

(ii)    In section 5 , in sub-section (1), after, the proviso, the following Provisos   shall   be   added :

“Provided  further  that  in  addition  to  the  provisions  of    clause  (a) of sub-section (1) of section 5, eggs shall  be  provided  to  children  aged above 7 months and up to 6 years, as an additional item in Anganwadis in  the  Scheduled  Areas  of  Maharashtra,  at  least  4  times  in  a       week :

Provided also that, children in Scheduled Areas who may not prefer   eggs  shall  be  provided  suitable  alternatives  at  least  4  times  a  week     in   lieu   of   eggs  :

Provided also that, the State Government shall  make  adequate financial  provisions  to  meet  the  additional  expenditure  to  be  incurred   in   Scheduled   Areas   while   providing   eggs   to   children.”  ;

 

(iii)      In Schedule II to the Act,  in  entry  at  serial  number  6,  in  column (3) the words “ Take Home  Ration ”  shall  be  replaced  by  the  words   “ Hot   Cooked   Meal ”.

 

CH.   VIDYASAGAR   RAO,

Governor   of       Maharashtra.