Government Committed to Provide Assured Food Security to All Citizens

Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prof. K.V Thomas has said that the Government is committed to enactment of the National Food Security Act to provide a statutory framework for assured food security to all. Addressing the Inaugural Session of a seminar organized by International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) here today (12^th October 2011), the Minister said that the proposed legislation would be a paradigm shift in approach towards food security - from welfare based to rights based approach, involving legal obligation on the Government to deliver food entitlements. It will be a comprehensive effort, adopting a life-cycle approach, in providing food and nutritional security to people, with special emphasis on vulnerable groups (For example, people belonging to Below Poverty Line).

Highlighting the priority of the Government to provide food security to all, Prof. Thomas said that the draft Bill proposes to provide right to receive food grains at subsidized prices under the Targeted Public Distribution System by persons belonging to priority households and general households. It proposes coverage of up to 75% of the total rural population, with at least 46% population belonging to priority households and up to 50% of the total urban population, with at least 28% population belonging to priority households. Each person in priority households would be entitled to 7 kg food grains per month at a price of not exceeding `3 `2 or `1 per kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains and 3 kg per person per month at a price of not exceeding 50% of the minimum support price for wheat and coarse grains and derived minimum support price for rice in general households.

The Food Minister said that the Bill also contains provisions for Nutritional support to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children, entitlements of special groups such as destitute persons, homeless and such other needy persons, emergency and disaster affected persons, persons living in starvation, etc.

He said, “The Central Govt. has held wide ranging consultations with various stakeholders, including State Governments and UT Administrations regarding the proposed Food Security legislation. Based on these consultations and comments/recommendations received, we have recently prepared a draft National Food Security Bill and the same has been placed on the website of the Ministry for comments/suggestions. The Bill is likely to be introduced in the Parliament shortly after taking into account the comments received from stakeholders and after appropriate consultations.”

Prof. Thomas said that implementation of the legislation which will place a major demand on agricultural production and related infrastructure is no doubt, going to be a challenging task. It would involve enhanced production of food grains, higher procurement, creation of additional storage facilities, rail-road infrastructure for movement of food grains and a streamlined distribution network. Based on the provisions of the draft Bill, the requirement of food grains for TPDS, Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) and natural calamities is estimated at about 61 million tons.

In order to cover a large section of rural as well as urban population, as envisaged in the proposed National Food Security Act, it is necessary to have sufficient stocks of food grains in the Central Pool for distribution. To meet the increased requirement of food grains, R&D efforts need to be intensified to ensure better yield from the available agricultural land. Development of modern farming technologies, high-yield varieties of seeds, efficient irrigation techniques are required to attain higher food grain production. The minister expressed confidence that Institutions like ICAR and IRRI are quite capable in meeting the challenges of research and development in the field of agriculture to ensure sustained implementation of the proposed legislation.

Government, NGOs, Research Institutions and other stakeholders must work together to make this momentous legislation a success so that the intended benefits reach the targeted beneficiaries, the minister added.

This is according to a news release available on the Press Information Bureau website. For more information related to Public Distribution System, visit PDS Gaya Website at www.pdsonline.in