NAC approves draft Food Security Bill
Nksagar-Sagar Media Inc:New Delhi : 22 June 2011:
The National Advisory Council (NAC) on Wednesday approved the draft Food Security Bill which seeks to ensure Right to Food to the poorest of the poor in the country. NAC chairman Sonia Gandhi will be writing to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh soon on the recommendations of the Council. The Bill recommends 35 kgs of foodgrains for below poverty line household per month at subsidised rates. The historic Food Security Bill entitles 75% of country's population to highly-subsidized foodgrains. The draft Bill says two types of households are eligible for discounted grain - priority households which are below the poverty line (BPL); and general households which consist of Lower Middle Class families. Households that are in the priority category cover about 40% of the total population. These will be entitled every month to 35 kg and will pay 3 rupees per kg of rice and 2 rupees per kg of wheat. General households, which constitute the other 30% covered under the Food Security Bill, will have the right to 20 kgs at a price not exceeding 50% of the Minimum Support Price paid to farmers for the foodgrains. AIR correspondent adds that the bill envisages a strong grievance redressal and monitoring system from the Centre to the block levels. These include creation of an independent and empowered district grievance redressal officer.
According to a release issued by the NAC, the Advisory Council also approved amendments in the Prevention of Communal Violence Bill. Participating in the debate on the proposed amendments, the members said that this bill can be historic in strengthening and safeguarding the secular democratic polity of the country. The Jarawa policy, about a tribe living in Andaman and Nicobar Islands was also reviewed in the meeting.
The National Advisory Council (NAC) on Wednesday approved the draft Food Security Bill which seeks to ensure Right to Food to the poorest of the poor in the country. NAC chairman Sonia Gandhi will be writing to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh soon on the recommendations of the Council. The Bill recommends 35 kgs of foodgrains for below poverty line household per month at subsidised rates. The historic Food Security Bill entitles 75% of country's population to highly-subsidized foodgrains. The draft Bill says two types of households are eligible for discounted grain - priority households which are below the poverty line (BPL); and general households which consist of Lower Middle Class families. Households that are in the priority category cover about 40% of the total population. These will be entitled every month to 35 kg and will pay 3 rupees per kg of rice and 2 rupees per kg of wheat. General households, which constitute the other 30% covered under the Food Security Bill, will have the right to 20 kgs at a price not exceeding 50% of the Minimum Support Price paid to farmers for the foodgrains. AIR correspondent adds that the bill envisages a strong grievance redressal and monitoring system from the Centre to the block levels. These include creation of an independent and empowered district grievance redressal officer.
According to a release issued by the NAC, the Advisory Council also approved amendments in the Prevention of Communal Violence Bill. Participating in the debate on the proposed amendments, the members said that this bill can be historic in strengthening and safeguarding the secular democratic polity of the country. The Jarawa policy, about a tribe living in Andaman and Nicobar Islands was also reviewed in the meeting.
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