Cabinet clears Food Security Bill; to be introduced in this session

Mtoday news / NDTV

New Delhi, Dec 18:  The Union Cabinet has cleared the Food Security Bill that aims to provide legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrain to over 62 per cent of the country’s population. During the meet, all the proposals of the Cabinet note were cleared. The bill will be introduced in Parliament in this winter session.

 

The Food Bill will cover 75 per cent of rural and 50 per cent of urban population. It will provide seven kilograms of rice and wheat to per person per month to priority households at Rs. 3 and Rs. 2 per kilograms, respectively. Persons under the general households would get at least three kilograms at 50 per cent of the minimum support price.

Under the present Public Distribution System (PDS), the government provides 35 kg of wheat and rice per month to 6.52 crore Below Poverty Line (BPL) families at Rs. 4.15 and Rs. 5.65 per kg, respectively. About 11.5 crore APL (Above Poverty Line) families gets between 15 and 35 kg of wheat and rice per month at Rs. 6.10 and Rs. 8.30/kg, respectively.

The bill also promises hot, mid-day meals for children up to 14 years of age and Rs. 6,000 for all pregnant and lactating women - all this will now be a legal entitlement.

The bill provides for cash reimbursement if the government fails to provide subsidised foodgrains because of natural calamities such as drought and floods.

There are, however, some unanswered questions - like the source of the almost Rs. 1 lakh crore required to implement the bill.

The National Food Security Bill, considered the greatest experiment in the world to provide food security to the poor, is a pet project of Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council. It was a promise made by the Congress Party in its manifesto of the 2009 general elections.