Poor may get coarse grains with wheat,rice

Seeking to broadbase the concept of food security,the UPA government is actively considering whether to include coarse grains along with wheat and rice in the food grains basket to be distributed to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) population in the proposed Food Security Act (FSA).

As of now,in addition to rice and wheat under the Minimum Support Price operations,sizeable quantities of coarse grains like bajra,maize,jowar and ragi also get procured for the central pool in some states,official sources said and pointed out that depending upon the willingness of the government to distribute them under the Targeted Public Distribution Scheme,allocations are made. However,in the Presidential address,it was mentioned that 25 kg of rice or wheat would be ensured to every BPL family,“but for all practical purposes,it is highly desirable to include coarse grains also under food grains to be distributed to them,” he said.

“As such,we understand that under the proposed legislation,instead of specifying wheat and rice,the entitlement of minimum quantity of food grains can be made to state governments,which procure them for the central pool and other states depending on their acceptance and total availability for food grains for the pool,” the sources reasoned.

The concerned ministries are understood to have vetted the proposal. The matter also came up before the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM),which met recently.