Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi Monday urged the Centre to conduct the delayed census, warning that 14 crore Indians are being denied food security benefits due to outdated 2011 data. She stressed the urgency of updating National Food Security Act (NFSA) entitlements and criticised the government’s lack of clarity on the census timeline.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour, she pointed out a four-year delay in conducting the census and expressed concerns that it is unlikely to be conducted this year as well.

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“For the first time in independent history, the decennial census has been delayed by more than four years. Originally scheduled for 2021, there is still no clarity as to when the census will be conducted. The Budget allocations reveal that the updated census is unlikely to be conducted this year as well. Around 14 crore eligible Indians are thus being deprived of their rightful benefit under the NFSA,” she said.

As a result, Ms Gandhi argued, around 14 crore additional individuals who should be covered under the NFSA remain excluded. Stressing the urgency of the census, she asserted, “It is imperative that the government prioritises the completion of the census as soon as possible and ensures that all the deserving individuals receive the benefits guaranteed to them under the NFSA. Food security is not a privilege, it’s a fundamental right,” she said.

She underscored the importance of the NFSA, enacted by the UPA government in 2013 to ensure food and nutritional security for India’s population.

“The National Food Security Act (NFSA) introduced by the UPA government in September 2013 was a landmark initiative aimed at ensuring food and nutritional security to the country’s 140 crore population. This legislation plays a crucial role in protecting millions of vulnerable households, particularly during the Covid-19 crisis. It is this Act that provides the basis for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana,” the Congress leader asserted.

Ms Gandhi said the NFSA mandates that up to 75 per cent of the rural and 50 per cent of the urban population receive subsidised food grains but the beneficiary quota is still determined based on the outdated 2011 Census. Currently, eligible individuals receive 5 kg of free food grains per month under this framework.

She urged the Centre to prioritise the completion of the census to ensure that deserving individuals receive their rightful benefits.

The Budget Session of Parliament began on January 31, and will continue till February 13. The second part will reconvene on March 10 and conclude on April 4.