Bihar State Food Commission Holds Consultation to Strengthen State Food Security Rules

The Bihar State Food Commission (BSFC), in collaboration with the Centre for Child and the Law (CCL), National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, and the Child Rights Centre (CRC) at Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna, organised a One-Day Consultation on “Orientation on the National Food Security Act, 2013 and strengthening Bihar State Food Security Rules for effective implementation” on 29th September 2026 at CNLU, Patna, Bihar. 

The consultation was chaired by BSFC Chairperson Shri. Prahlad Kumar Sarkar. The meeting was an interdepartmental convergence meeting that brough together members of Bihar State Food Commission, officers from over ten state departments including Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Welfare Department, Social Welfare Department, Food & Consumer Protection Department, Bihar Minority Welfare Department, Education Department and members from different State Commissions including Bihar State Child Labour Commission, Bihar Backward Class and Extremely Backward Classes Welfare Commission, Bihar State Minority Commission, Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Commission, Bihar State Women Commission and the members from State Health Society and Bihar PM POSHAN actively participated in the consultation.  

The consultation began with an orientation session on NFSA  delivered by Ms. Sudha.S, Training Facilitator, CCL, NLSIU. The second session on Importance of State Rules under NFSA and Bihar specific Recommendations was delivered by Ms.Rashi Mitra , Senior Research Associate , CCL , NLSIU. The preparation and documentation of the consultation was undertaken by Ms. Garima Sidar, Research Assistant (Legal), CCL, NLSIU.

The deliberations addressed localised implementation gaps and suggested recommendations for strengthening Bihar State Food Security Rules. Panelists emphasised that food security under the NFSA is a legal entitlement and right rather than a measure of charity. 

Participants highlighted pressing concerns in the state, including high rates of childhood stunting and anemia, severe food insecurity among vulnerable populations including Mahadalit communities, roadside dwellers, and child labourers and supply chain bottlenecks regarding godown maintenance and grain transport quality. Health department representatives detailed targeted efforts across the first 1,000 days of child development, including Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) counseling, Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs), and micronutrient supplementation.

To ensure robust governance, the consultation finalised several key recommendations for strengthening Food Security Rules in Bihar:

• Granting Punitive Powers: Empowering the Bihar State Food Commission with punitive authority to enforce compliance.
• Strengthened Grievance Redressal: Institutionalising the Commission as the central nodal body for grievance handling and annual progress reporting under NFSA.
• Supply Chain Modernisation: Enforcing GPS tracking on transit vehicles, geo-tagging godowns, establishing 24/7 surveillance, and maintaining toll-free helplines.
• Social Audits & Inter-Departmental Coordination: Mandating annual social audits with annual budget allocations and streamlining convergence across health, child development, education, and welfare departments.
• Targeted Interventions: Updating socio-economic lists, regularising payments, upgrading infrastructure, and creating special coverage measures for flood-prone areas.

As a way forward of the Consultation, Bihar State Food Commission will submit the finalised set of recommendations at the Bihar State Assembly and also submit it further through their Annual Report.