Draft food security bill seeks to cover 75 per cent of rural population
14 Sep 2011
The draft National Food Security Bill seeks to cover up to 75 per cent of the country's rural population (with at least 46 per cent in the priority category) and 50 per cent of urban households (at least 28 per cent as priority), entitling them to 7 kg of foodgrain per person (at Rs3 per kg for rice, Rs2 per kg for wheat and Re1 per kg for coarse grains) each month.
For general households, the bill proposes to issue 3 kg of foodgrains at an issue price not exceeding 50 per cent of the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat and coarse grains and derived MSP of rice.
The bill also provides for legal right to take home ration/meal to women, children, special groups, including destitute and homeless, emergency and disaster affected persons, and persons living in starvation.
There is also a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism at the district, state and national levels to ensure transparency and accountability, according to a statement issued by the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.
The National Food Security Bill is in pursuance of the announcement made by the President of India in her address to the joint session of Parliament in June2009 to enact a National Food Security Act to provide a statutory basis for a framework which assures food security for all and entitle by law, every BPL family to certain quantities foodgrains at subsidised prices, the statement added.
The draft bill has taken into consideration the recommendations of the National Advisory Council of the UPA government, the expert committee headed by C Rangarajan, chairman of the economic advisory council to the prime minister, and consultations with states, central ministries, experts and other stake holders.
The draft bill has been placed on the ministry's web site http://fcamin.nic.in and the government has sought comments from the public and all concerned on the bill.
