Centre calls states to discuss Food Bill on Feb 13

With a Parliamentary panel suggesting further pruning of the Food Bill, the Centre has called a meeting of state food ministers on Monday for detailed consultations once again before taking the revised version to the Cabinet.

The Food Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2011, aims to give legal right over subsidised foodgrains to two-third of the country's population. In its latest report, the Parliamentary panel has suggested drastic changes in the Bill, saying that all the beneficiaries be provided 5 kg of wheat and rice per month at a uniform rate of Rs 2 and Rs 3 per kg.

"It (the meeting) will discuss proposals made in the Bill and further action for finalisation of the Bill in the light of recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee," an official release said. At present, below poverty line (BPL) families effectively get 7 kg of wheat and rice at Rs 4.15 and Rs 5.65 per kg per month.

In the Food Security Bill, the government had proposed to change this by giving 7 kg of wheat and rice to a person at Rs 2 and Rs 3 per kg. Non-BPL families, as per the Bill, were to get 3 kg of foodgrain at half of the government fixed minimum support price, which translates into about Rs 7 per kg for wheat and Rs 10 per kg for rice.

The Parliamentary panel's recommendations are generally not binding on the government. However, if accepted, the recommendations will benefit the general population in both price and quantity, while BPL member will get lesser quota than what was proposed in the original Bill.