Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Finance Ministry approves changes in Food Security Bill

Finance Ministry approves changes in Food Security Bill

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Nov 17, 2011   modified Modified on Nov 17, 2011

-The Hindu

 

The Finance Ministry had approved the changes in the draft National Food Security Bill that were incorporated after taking the views of the Department of Women and Child Development as well as those posted on the Food Ministry's website, Minister of State for Food and Public Distribution K.V. Thomas said on Thursday.

The Ministry would soon bring to the Cabinet a revised draft after incorporating the comments of the Ministries concerned. “The Bill will be introduced in Parliament in the winter session and is proposed to be implemented from the next fiscal year,” he said.

Key change

A key change proposed was that instead of providing 3 kg of subsidised grains a household a month in the ‘general' category, “a minimum of 3 kg'' shall be provided. This means that if food stocks allowed, higher allocations could be made for these beneficiaries.

Earlier, Mr. Thomas told The Hindu that the proposed Bill would now have a clause “prohibiting unwarranted diversion of land and water from food production.”

The provision was made as it was assessed that the requirement of grains to meet the obligations under the proposed Bill was around 65 to 70 million tonnes. For this, farm production and productivity had to increase.

“Alongside, we have proposed the streamlining of the public distribution system, better storage facilities, plugging of leakages, more investment in agriculture and higher production and productivity,” he said.

To ensure that the Bill was enforced as soon as it became a law, the Ministry had proposed that the law and the rules be implemented simultaneously.

Another proposed change was provision of free meal to eligible pregnant women, lactating mothers, needy children, destitutes and migrants through anganwadis at an additional cost of Rs. 12,000 crore. In addition, a maternity benefit of Rs. 1,000 a month would be provided for six months to pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Nutritional support had been suggested for children in the age group of six months to six years and for children between six and 14 years.

The cost to the exchequer for provision of mandatory subsidised grains to eligible beneficiaries under the proposed Bill was estimated at over Rs. 1 lakh crore. At present, food subsidy stood at Rs. 63,000 crore.

The Bill proposed coverage with subsidised grains of up to 75 per cent rural population with at least 46 per cent priority households and up to 50 per cent of urban population with at least 28 per cent priority families.

The identification of the beneficiaries would be on the basis of the ongoing Socio-Economic Caste Census.

The Hindu, 18 November, 2011, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2637873.ece


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close