State level consultation programme on reproductive rights was held at Jubilee Memorial Centre, Kohima, organised by Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) & European Union from May 30 to 31.
NVCO president, Kezhokhoto Savi as one of the resource person highlighted the history of the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India. Savi said that had the Right to Food Campaign not been galvanized into action and had the Supreme Court not intervened by passing splendid orders, then the government of India would have closed down the Public Distribution System in the country. A new Act originally conceived by the National Advisory Council was passed in August 2013. Savi said that the Act was a statutory acknowledgement of hunger and malnutrition and making the right to food a legal entitlement.
He also said that the Act also included the mid-day meal scheme. Nagaland Government on June 27, 2016 finally launched the much awaited ‘National Food Security Act 2013’ for Dimapur and Kohima, he added. Lack of awareness amongst the general public on the National Food Security Act was a genuine concern and Savi made an appeal to the participants representing different districts consisted of civil societies, students’ union, women, various projects and more than 40 LL.B final year students of Kohima Law College to create more awareness to educate the citizens of their entitlement.