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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Food Security Bill panel's report to be awaited by Gargi Parsai

Food Security Bill panel's report to be awaited by Gargi Parsai

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published Published on Dec 7, 2010   modified Modified on Dec 7, 2010

Accelerating the process of framing a National Food Security Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday convened a high-level meeting with his senior Cabinet colleagues to discuss aspects of the Bill and the recommendations made by the National Advisory Council (NAC).

At the centre of the discussions was a letter written by NAC chairperson Sonia Gandhi to the Prime Minister on merging the Rural Development Ministry's exercise for identification of the below poverty line population with the Caste Census that will commence in July.

The NAC also wants all Dalits and tribals to be covered under the Bill which will entail an outgo of foodgrains more than the estimated 62 million tonnes that would be required to cover at least 75 per cent of the population.

It is understood that certain points were raised about reconciling the poverty ratio with the proportion of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in each State. In some States the proportion of these categories might exceed the ceiling on poverty ratios as envisaged by the Planning Commission. Therefore, it was decided to await the result of the latest household survey data and poverty estimates to be put out soon by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). Although broadly the Tendulkar Committee's estimate of 8.02 crore poor households is accepted, the issue of poverty estimates is still to be settled.

The meeting also agreed to await the outcome of an experts group under the chairmanship of Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council C. Rangarajan that was studying the implications of the NAC recommendations. Dr. Rangarajan already held one meeting on the subject and on Tuesday he told journalists that he would submit his report by the end of the month to the Prime Minister. His group is examining the implications of the NAC recommendations.

“In the light of observation of the NAC, the experts committee will evaluate the implication of the Food Security Bill, including the quantum of foodgrains required, the need for stepping up the production and the subsidy burden etc. After studying these aspects, we will submit our report by this month end,'' he said after the meeting.

Coming out of the meeting, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said “we have to step up production'' to meet the foodgrains requirements under the proposed Bill.

The Agriculture Ministry says production will have to be enhanced by about 25 million tonnes, from the current record level of 234 million tonnes. The government has also to plan for a drought year as well as years that might bear the consequences of climate change. Not only will infrastructure have to be given a boost, but the Ministry will have to plan for enhancing capacity for higher power use, fertilizer consumption, railway and other modes of transporting foodgrains. Dry land farming, research in new crop varieties and irrigation will have to be given a visible boost.

The Food Ministry too will have to work towards a foolproof procurement and distribution system that plugs leakages. At present, the government provides cheap foodgrains to 18.04-crore families, which includes 6.52 BPL families and 11.5 APL families, under the PDS.

Apart from Mr. Pawar and Dr. Rangarajan, those who attended the meeting were Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily, Rural Development Minister C.P. Joshi, Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia.


The Hindu, 8 December, 2010, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/article938711.ece


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