Food minister KV Thomas on Monday introduced the national Food Security ordinance promulgated earlier in
Parliament for discussion and conversion into an Act.
The dates for discussion of the food Bill in Parliament are yet to be decided, Thomas told FE.
With many political parties like BJP and Samajwadi Party demanding amendments to the provisions of the ordinance, the government would be needing support from its allies to get it ratified by Parliament.
Thomas said that Food Corporation of India (FCI) has enough foodgrain stocks for meeting needs under the food Bill, which envisages providing highly subsidised foodgrains to 67% of the country?s population.
?While we need about 62 mt of foodgrain for implementation of the Food Security Law, FCI has procured more than 75 mt of rice and wheat from the farmers over the last few years,? Thomas said.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said that his party was ready to support the Food Security Bill if the government promised to protect the interests of farmers and ensure that they get profit over their produce. ?We cannot allow the interests of the farmers to be ignored,? Yadav said.
However, Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath on Sunday had stated that the Food Security Bill would be passed ?without any amendments?, and agriculture minister and Congress-ally NCP chief Sharad Pawar had said ?he is open to changes in the Bill?.
The National Food Security law is expected to cost around R1,25,000 crore annually for supplying about 62 million tonne of rice, wheat and coarse cereals to a major chunk of the country?s population. Under the food ordinance, the list of beneficiaries would be prepared by the state governments.
The Food Security law will now guarantee 5 kg of rice, wheat and coarse cereals per month per person at a fixed price of R3, R2, and R1 respectively. However, about 2.43 crore poorest of the poor families covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) scheme under the existing Public Distribution System (PDS) would continue to get 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month but with legal entitlement.
Ashok Gulati, chairman of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), had recently said that the biggest challenge is fixing leakage in PDS in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where poverty is more prevalent. ?The second biggest threat will be that higher procurement of foodgrain to meet Food Bill demand will drive out private players from the wheat and rice purchase,? he said.
