A decision in this regard was taken during a meeting with state food ministers in the national capital.
The meeting was called following a direction from the Supreme Court. In the directive, the Center was asked to prepare a model community kitchen scheme based on the consent of the states within three weeks.
Announcing the setting up of a group of state food secretaries to deliberate on the modalities of the scheme, Goyal said, “There is a need to prepare a community kitchen scheme – which is simple, transparent and in the benefit of the people.”
He said that there is a need to build a community kitchen on the four pillars of quality, cleanliness, credibility and the spirit of service. “This will help us achieve the goal of no one goes to bed hungry,” he said.
An official statement quoted the minister as saying that the community kitchen would be community-run and for the welfare of the community and that of the community itself.
Goyal further said, “We should have sympathy for the poor of the country and ensure collective resolve to run successful and transparent food programs to ensure proper nutrition to the children.”
The next meeting at the level of officers will be held on November 29 to consider the framework proposal.
The apex court’s direction to the Centre, filed in connection with the formulation of a necessary plan to provide food to the needy persons by setting up community kitchens across the country and a national food grid for persons outside the purview of the public distribution system The writ had come on a petition to fight hunger and malnutrition.
The top court had also directed all the states to participate in the meeting organized by the Center and cooperate in coming up with the said plan, which can be implemented uniformly on all the states and union territories.
Talking about the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), Goyal said that the scheme has been a boon for the poor during the pandemic as free food grains are given to ration card holders in excess of the quota given under the National Food Security Act. was distributed.
He said, “PMGKAY is probably the biggest food program in the world launched in the time of COVID. No one in the country was deprived of food grains. It should be our resolve that quality food grains reach the beneficiaries.”
The PMGKAY scheme has now been extended for four months till March 22, 2022.
Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey and others were present in the meeting.
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