Arunachal Pradesh will launch the National Food Security scheme on August 20 coinciding with the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. This was divulged by AICC in-charge for Arunachal Pradesh, Luizinho Falerio. Flanked by State Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and MPs Mukut Mithi and Takam Sanjoy, the senior Congress leader, who was on a day’s visit to the State to review the party’s last election manifesto, was addressing a press conference here on Monday evening. He said, “About 60 to 70 per cent of the country’s population will be covered under this ambitious scheme – a pet project of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.” “It may not eradicate poverty but ensure the people the right to food, and anyone found guilty of not implementing the Ordinance would be brought to book,” added Faleiro. The Ordinance would help plug the leakages existing in the public distribution system (PDS), averred Mukut Mithi, the president of Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee and the lone Rajya Sabha member from the State. Talking about his government’s resolve to launch the food security scheme on August 20, Tuki said the government is making the arrangements for identification of beneficiaries for the flagship programme. He, however, said that it would be a challenging task for the government to identify the beneficiaries from amongst the indigenous population of around eight lakh and make available the stocks to those people living in far-flung and inaccessible areas.