Parliament approves food security bill : Parliamentary approval was Monday accorded to the landmark Food Security Bill, which gives right to subsidised grains to two-thirds of India’s 1.2 billion population numbering around 800 million, the largest such scheme anywhere in the world. Under the legislation, beneficiaries would get five kg of grain per person per month which would include rice at Rs.3 per kg, wheat at Rs.2 per kg and coarse grains at Re.1 per kg. The Lok Sabha passed the bill Aug 26 while the Rajya Sabha cleared it Monday night after 237 amendments tabled by opposition parties were rejected or not pursued. After the bill was passed, Food Minister K.V. Thomas told reporters he was “happy that it was passed unanimously”. In his reply during the 10-hour-long debate, he had attempted to allay opposition concerns, assuring that existing state schemes and their grain allocations will be protected. The bill, introduced in parliament in December 2011, will now go to President Pranab Mukherjee for his assent before it becomes law. The bill proposes meal entitlement to specific groups, including pregnant women and lactating mothers; children between the ages of six months and 14 years; malnourished children; disaster-affected persons; and destitute, homeless and starving persons.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Sep 2013 07:35:54 +0000
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