Abstract

Government of India passed National Food Security Act in 2013, with an aim to provide food and nutritional security, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity. In the state of Sikkim, implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, was started from the 4th February, 2015, with a publication of Sikkim Food Security Rules 2014 in the Sikkim Government Gazette. The Antodaya Anno Yajona (AAY) households and state government identified Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries within the state of Sikkim were covered to get the benefit. AAY household are entitled to get 35 Kg of food grains (rice) at the rate of Rs. 3.00/- per Kg per household per month and PHH beneficiary are entitled to get 5 Kg food grains (rice) at the rate of Rs. 3.00/- per Kg per person per month. The present study conducted on North Sikkim district of Sikkim on July 2018 on 75 households (50 PHH and 25 AAY), 5 FPSs, 5 village level vigilance committee, DGRO and three district food godowns. Findings showed that the beneficiaries were getting the entitlement with a good quality in all time in last three months. FPS owners were facing difficulties related to the transportation and its costs as it is a hilly region. It was also found that the beneficiaries were highly dependent on the PDS system, as major portion of the requirement of rice were fulfil by it and the other hand the state is considered as non-rice producing state.

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