EGoM clears food Bill

In an attempt to introduce the proposed food security law in the monsoon session,the Empowered Group of Ministers,headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

In an attempt to introduce the proposed food security law in the monsoon session,the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM),headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee,on Monday cleared a rationalised version of the food security Bill by diluting parts of provisions suggested by the NAC. The draft food security law prepared by the Food Ministry has agreed to providing legal entitlements of cheap foodgrains to APL households,as suggested by the NAC,despite objections by an expert panel appointed by the Prime Minister.

The draft has scaled down legal entitlement of foodgrains to rural households from 90 per cent,as recommended by the NAC,to 75 per cent while retaining 50 per cent coverage of urban population as proposed by the NAC. It has proposed scaling down entitlements of APL households from four kg per person per month to three kg and done away with NACs suggestion of a separate minimum entitlement for a single member household (14 kg a month for BPL and eight kg for APL).

The EGoM has asked Food Minister K V Thomas to get the draft vetted by the Law Ministry. The draft will then be discussed with chief ministers to get it ready in time for the monsoon session,sources said.

The ministry is learnt to have done away with provisions of nutrition support to pregnant and nursing women in the form of legal entitlements of free ration. The draft is also learnt to have done away with a clause pertaining to Starvation Protocol suggested by the NAC. While the draft has agreed to free food for three months to vulnerable sections affected due to a disaster,it has done away with NACs suggestion of 200 days of wage guarantee under the Bill.

While the draft has incorporated NACs suggestion of granting foodgrain entitlement to migrants,the Food Ministry is learnt to have diluted provisions for creation of special facilities for destitute and homeless to be undertaken by states.

As for mechanism,the ministry proposal has done away with NACs suggestion of establishing an independent directorate for social audit. It has,instead,provided for creation of vigilance committees at local level.

The proposals of the draft Bill prepared by the ministry is estimated to require 61 million tonnes of foodgrains and a subsidy of Rs 95,000 crore.