Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution KV Thomas tells Nitin Sethi that it makes better sense to distribute stocked foodgrain to people of the country than subsidise exports. Possible spread of drought that the government is looking at... At the moment, monsoon rainfall is 23% below the long term average. But we have to wait another 15 days to know the full situation. We had discussion in the presence...

-PTI Ineffective grievance redressal remains a concern in implementation of the rural employment scheme MNREGA, says a government report about its ambitious programme aimed at enhancing livelihood security of people living in rural areas. 'MGNREGA Sameeksha', an anthology of research study on UPA's flagship scheme also pointed out that majority of the state governments have not framed grievance redressal rules, as required under the Act, to address the issues of corruption. "Studies point...

-IANS Food minister KV Thomas on Wednesday said the Union government was committed to ensuring food security of the people, particularly the vulnerable sections. He said the proposed food security bill aimed to give legal rights to cheaper foodgrains to 63.5% of the population. Around 180 million households -- 65 million below poverty line (BPL) and 115 million above poverty line (APL) category families -- get subsidised rations under the Public Distribution System through...

-ANI Food Minister K.V. Thomas on Wednesday said that the proposed National Food Security Bill marks a paradigm shift in addressing the problem of food security - from it being viewed as a welfare approach to a right-based approach. Launching the bulletin on food justice in India brought out by the Oxfam India, the institute of development studies and the centre for legislative research and advocacy here, Thomas said: "The Act seeks...

-PTI   India’s proposed National Food Security Bill has the potential to become a benchmark for the rest of the world to follow, the NGO Oxfam India and UK-based Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has said. The proposed Food Security Bill aims at providing legal entitlement over subsidised foodgrain to the poor. The Bill was introduced in Parliament in December 2011 and the same has been referred to the Standing Committee. “India is taking...