The proposed National Food Security Act (NFSA), which aims to provide 25 kg of rice or wheat per month at Rs 3 per kg to every family below poverty line, is likely to be delayed.

Busy charting out strategies to deal with the drought, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is learnt to have told the State Food and Civil Supplies Ministers’ Conference on Wednesday that the Centre would be convening a separate meeting of chief ministers and state food ministers to discuss issues pointed out by them on the NFSA before bringing it to Parliament.

This indicates that the Act, which was promised by the President in her speech to the joint session of Parliament, is likely to be delayed.

At the Wednesday meeting, the suggestions made on the NFSA by the states went much beyond what was contained in the concept note circulated earlier, sources said.

While Pawar called for joint efforts by the Centre and states, the latter are learnt to have demanded raising of the quantity of foodgrain to be provided under the Act to 35 kg and cutting of the price to Rs 2 per kg. They also had a problem with the proposed method to identify the poor.

The Food Department had in June circulated a concept note to all states, and had followed it up with a meeting of food secretaries. But at the time the government was sitting pretty with the Met Department’s prediction of a normal monsoon.