New Delhi:
Union Food Minister KV Thomas and representatives of states met today to discuss the National Food Security Bill and the recommendations of Parliament Standing Committee.
"We intend to present the revised bill in Parliament in the budget session, so this is the last opportunity for consultations before finalising the bill," Mr Thomas said at the beginning of the meeting.
The bill is one of the most ambitious legislations of the UPA government and attempts to fight hunger by proving subsidised food at an estimated cost of over Rs 1 lakh crore. But some of its provisions have been opposed by states, such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The bill seeks to limit entitlements to a maximum of 75 per cent of rural and 50 per cent of urban population, provided that not more than 46 per cent rural and 28 per cent urban population is designated as priority households.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has flagged concerns about the exclusion ratios. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Kumar said that exclusion ratios should not be decided in a uniform manner across states as the poorer states would stand to lose. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav too has opposed the exclusion ratio.
The Bill was introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament in December 2010 and sent to a Parliament Standing Committee for its recommendations. The committee submitted it report to the Lok Sabha Speaker last month.
"We intend to present the revised bill in Parliament in the budget session, so this is the last opportunity for consultations before finalising the bill," Mr Thomas said at the beginning of the meeting.
The bill is one of the most ambitious legislations of the UPA government and attempts to fight hunger by proving subsidised food at an estimated cost of over Rs 1 lakh crore. But some of its provisions have been opposed by states, such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The bill seeks to limit entitlements to a maximum of 75 per cent of rural and 50 per cent of urban population, provided that not more than 46 per cent rural and 28 per cent urban population is designated as priority households.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has flagged concerns about the exclusion ratios. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Kumar said that exclusion ratios should not be decided in a uniform manner across states as the poorer states would stand to lose. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav too has opposed the exclusion ratio.
The Bill was introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament in December 2010 and sent to a Parliament Standing Committee for its recommendations. The committee submitted it report to the Lok Sabha Speaker last month.
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