Minister
for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Shri
K.V.Thomas introduced amendments in the
National Food Security Bill in the Lok Sabha today and placed the amended Bill for consideration
and passing by the House.
The
National Food Security Bill was introduced in the Lok
Sabha on 22nd December, 2011 to addresses
the issue of food security in a comprehensive manner, by adopting a life cycle
approach. The Bill was introduced after a wide-ranging consultation with
various stakeholders.
After
introduction, the Bill was referred to Standing Committee on Food, Consumer
Affairs and Public Distribution, who interacted with other Central Ministries,
various other organizations and individuals and visited States before
submitting its report to the Speaker, Lok Sabha on 17th January, 2013. The recommendations of the Standing Committee
were examined in consultation with concerned Central Ministries and also with
the Food Ministers and Food Secretaries of States/UT.
Based
on the recommendations of the Standing Committee and views of various
stakeholders thereon, the Government decided to move certain amendments to the
Bill. These amendments seek to make the
framework of the proposed legislation simpler, provide more flexibility
to States/UTs in its implementation and to address
some of the concerns raised by them.
Main
amendments to the Bill are as under:
·
Coverage
and entitlement under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS): Instead of coverage of upto 75% of
the rural population and upto 50% of the urban
population under two categories of priority and general households with
different entitlements and issue prices provided in the original Bill, there
would be only one category of beneficiaries with uniform entitlement of 5 kg
per person per month.
·
Protection
of entitlements under Targeted Public Distribution System: The
entitlement of Antyodaya Anna Yojana
(AAY) households, which constitute poorest of the poor will, however, be
protected at 35 kg per household per month.
It is also proposed to accept the recommendation of the Committee to
protect the existing allocation of foodgrains to the
States/UTs, subject to it being restricted to average
annual offtake during last three years (2009-10 to
2011-12).
·
State-wise
coverage and identification of beneficiaries:
Corresponding to coverage of 75%/50% of
the rural/urban population at the all India level, State-wise coverage will be
determined by the Planning Commission.
The work of identification of eligible households is proposed to be left
to the States/UTs, which may frame their own criteria
or use the Social Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data.
·
Subsidized
Prices under TDPS and their revision: Uniform prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per kg
for rice/wheat/coarse grains will be applicable to all eligible
beneficiaries. It is proposed to fix
these prices for the first three years of implementation of the Act, and
thereafter link the same suitably to MSP.
·
Cost of
intra-State transportation & handling of foodgrains
and FPS Dealers’ margin: In order to address the concerns of States/UTs regarding additional financial burden, it is proposed
that Central Government may provide assistance to States towards cost of
intra-State transportation, handling of foodgrains
and FPS Dealers’ margin, for which norms will be devised.
·
Maternity
benefit:
It is proposed to allow States/UTs to use the
existing machinery of District Grievance Redressal Officer (DGRO), State
Food Commission, if they so desire, to save expenditure on establishment of new
set up.
At the coverage and
entitlement now proposed, total estimated annual foodgrains
requirement is 612.3 lakh tons and the corresponding
estimated food subsidy for implementation of NFSB, at 2013-14 costs, is about Rs. 1,24747 crore. When compared
to the estimated food subsidy requirement under existing TDPS and Other Welfare
Schemes, the additional food subsidy implication is about Rs.23,800 crore per annum. Requirement for assistance to States for
meeting the expenditure on Transportation, Handling and FPS Dealers’ margin,
etc., would be additional.
HIGHLIGHTS
OF AMENDED BILL
The
National Food Security Bill is a historic initiative for ensuring food and
nutritional security to the people. It gives right to the people to receive
adequate quantity of foodgrains at affordable prices.
The Food Security Bill has special focus on the
needs of poorest of the poor, women and children. In case of non-supply of foodgrains now people will get Food Security Allowance. The
bill provides for wide scale redressal mechanism and
penalty for non compliance by public servant or authority. Other features of
the Bill are as follows;
Coverage of two thirds population to
get highly susidized foodgrains
Upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population will have uniform
entitlement of 5 kg foodgrains per month at highly
subsidized prices of Rs. 3, Rs. 2, Rs. 1 per kg. for rice, wheat, coarse grains respectively . It will entitle about two thirds of our 1.2 billion population to subsidised foodgrains under the Targeted Public Distribution System
(TPDS.
Poorest
of the poor continue to get 35 kg per household
The poorest of poor households would
continue to receive 35 Kg foodgrains per household
per month under Antyodaya Anna Yajna at subsidized
prices of Rs 3, Rs 2 and Rs 1. It is also proposed to protect the existing allocation
of foodgrains to the States/Uts,
subject to it being restricted to average annual offtake
during last three years.
Eligible households to be identified by
the States
Corresponding
to the coverage of 75% rural and 50 % of urban population at all India level,
State wise coverage will be determined by the Planning Commission. The work of
identification of eligible households is left to the States/UTs,
which may frame their own criteria or use Social Economic and Caste Census
data.
Special focus
on nutritional support to women and children
There is a
special focus on nutritional support to women and children. Pregnant women and
lactating mothers, besides being entitled to nutritious meals as per the
prescribed nutritional norms will also receive maternity benefit at least of Rs. 6000/-. Children in the age group of 6 months to 14
years will be entitled to take home ration or hot cooked food as per prescribed
nutritional norms.
Food Security Allowance in case of non supply of foodgrains
The
Central Government will provide funds to States/UTs in
case of short supply of food grains from Central pool, In case of non-supply of
food grains or meals to entitled persons, the concerned State/UT Governments
will be required to provide such food security allowance as may be prescribed
by the Central Government to the beneficiaries.
States to get assistance for
intra-State transportation and handling of foodgrains
In
order to address the concern of the States regarding additional financial
burden, Central Government will provide assistance to the States towards cost
of intra-State transportation, handling of foodgrains
and FPS dealers’ margin. This will ensure timely transportation and efficient
handling of foodgrains.
Reforms for doorstep delivery of foodgrains
Reforms have been intiated for doorstep delivery of foodgrains,
application of information and communication technology (ICT) including end to
end computerisation, leveraging ‘Aadhaar’
for unique identification of beneficiaries, diversification of commodities
under TPDS etc for effective implementation of the Food Security Act.
Women Empowerment-- Eldest women will
be Head of the household
Eldest
woman of eighteen years of age or above will be head of the household for issue
of ration card, and if not available, the eldest male member is to be the head
of the household.
Grievance redressal
mechanism at district level
There will be state and district level redressal mechanism with designated nodal officers. The States will be allowed to use the existing
machinery for District Grievance Redressal Officer
(DGRO), State Food Commission, if they so desire, to save expenditure on
establishment of new redressal set up. Redressal mechanism may also include call centers, helpline
etc.
Social
audits and vigilance committees to ensure transparency and accountability
Provisions have also been made for disclosure
of records relating to PDS, social audits and setting up of Vigilance
Committees in order to ensure transparency and accountability.
Penalty for non compliance
The
Bill provides for penalty to be imposed on public servants or authority, if
found guilty of failing to comply with the relief recommended by the District
Grievance Redressal Officer (DGRO).
Expenditure
At the proposed coverage of
entitlement, total estimated annual foodgrains
requirement is 612.3 lakh tons and corresponding
estimated food subsidy for the Bill at 2013-14 costs is about Rs.1,24,724 crore.
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NCJ/RV