The Government has sought comments on the proposed Food Security Bill, which seeks to provide legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrains for up to three-fourth of the rural population and half of the urban households.
The Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs has placed the draft National Food Security Bill, 2011 on its Web site http://fcamin.nic.in for public comments.
The proposed entitlement is 7 kg of foodgrains per person, per month for ‘priority' or below poverty line households. This will be at an issue price of Rs 3 a kg for rice, Rs 2 a kg for wheat and Re 1 a kg of coarse grains.
For general or above poverty line households, the entitlement has been reduced to 3 kg of foodgrains for one person as against the earlier 4 kg recommended by the National Advisory Council (NAC). This is 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 from paddy.
The 75 per cent rural population would include at least 46 per cent from the ‘priority' households. The 50 per cent urban households would comprise at least 28 per cent priority families.
Other provisions in the proposed Bill include legal right to take home ration/meal to women, children, special groups including destitute and homeless, emergency and disaster affected persons and for people living in starvation.
It also includes right to receive food security allowance from concerned State Government in cases of failure to supply the entitled foodgrains or meal to the targeted persons.
The State Governments will have to set up a State Food Security Commission for monitoring and review of the implementation of the legislation.
A three-tier grievance redressal mechanism is being proposed at the district, State and national levels for transparency and accountability in implementing the Legislation.
The Department of Food and Public Distribution has prepared the Draft National Food Security Bill. This is after taking into consideration the recommendations of the National Advisory Council, the expert committee headed by Dr C. Rangarajan, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and consultations with States, Central Ministries and other stake holders.