CM Vijay urges PM Modi to retain 35 kg food grain quota for Tamil Nadu AAY families

On Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay wrote a letter from Chennai to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Union Government to retain the existing entitlement of 35 kg of food grains per month for families under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY). Vijay strongly opposed a proposed amendment to the National Food Security Bill that would change the allotment to 7 kg per person, warning it would severely impact the state's poorest residents.

According to the Chief Minister, the proposed amendment would reduce monthly food grain allotments to Tamil Nadu by approximately 42,040 metric tonnes (MT). This reduction threatens the food security of nearly 70 lakh of the state's most vulnerable citizens and directly affects 18,64,600 AAY ration card holders.

While the Union Government explained that the amendment aims to remove intra-category inequities and align entitlements with nutritional requirements, Vijay pointed out that the practical effect in Tamil Nadu would be a drastic reduction in food supply. This is because the average family size in the state is only 3.54 people.

Tamil Nadu currently has 18,64,600 AAY ration cards in circulation, covering 69,26,983 poor beneficiaries. The scheme supports highly vulnerable households, including families headed by widows, aged individuals, differently-abled persons, those with life-threatening illnesses, landless agricultural labourers, and daily wage earners.

Vijay requested the Union Government to reconsider the proposed amendment to the National Food Security Act, 2013, and maintain the 35 kg household quota. Currently, the Union Government supplies 65,261 MT of coarse grains, such as rice, wheat, and ragi, to Tamil Nadu every month.

The Chief Minister recalled that when Parliament enacted the National Food Security Act, the entitlements were intentionally designed to be simple, unconditional, and household-based to prevent hunger. He argued that converting this to a per-capita entitlement effectively penalises southern Indian states that have successfully implemented family planning schemes resulting in smaller family sizes.