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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Govt readies draft of food security bill

Govt readies draft of food security bill

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published Published on Sep 15, 2011   modified Modified on Sep 15, 2011

-The Times of India

 

The government has finally released the draft of the National Food Security Bill, and has put it up for comments till end of September.

Only 46% of people in rural India and 28% in urban India will get 7 kg of foodgrain every month. Another 29% of those in rural India and 22% in urban India will be provided 3 kg of foodgrain per person.

Grains to the 'priority group' - the new phrase used for those living below the poverty line - will be at Rs 3 a kg for rice, Rs 2 a kg for wheat and Rs 1 for coarse grains. Others will get the grains at half the minimum support price given to farmers when government buys the crop.

The Planning Commission will lay down the cut-off for beneficiaries in each state to get subsidy from the Centre under the Act to provide the foodgrains at low rates.

The government also plans to introduce the controversial fortified packaged food to children under the law by stipulating strict guidelines for levels of micronutrients to be contained in meals to be provided to children. The draft bill also allows distribution of ready to eat food to children. The Supreme Court had ordered supply of only hot cooked meals under the ICDS programme but the government has proposed to change that as well.

Overall, if the bill gets passed in its current shape, the number of beneficiaries of food subsidy will actually go down, as only a percentage of those living above the poverty line would get partially subsidized food.

All destitute citizens will get one meal a day and community kitchens shall be run for the homeless and needy. The ICDS programme is being brought under the food security Act with free meals for pregnant and lactating women for the period of pregnancy and three months after. Provisions for meals for children under the ICDS and mid-day meal scheme too have been turned into rights under the bill. But giving a window out of actually supplying the food, the Centre will allow state governments to instead dole out cash if they so wish - as food security allowance.

For subsidized grains, the Union government has taken on absolute powers to decide who shall fall into the priority or other beneficiary classification leaving no room for state-to-state alteration of the criteria.

The Times of India, 15 September, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-readies-draft-of-food-security-bill/articleshow/9987037.cms


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