At last Food Security Bill introduced by the ruling party got approved in the Parliament after 20 days from the date of starting of Parliament sessions and after a six hours long debate and voting on the 300 amendments proposed by the opposition parties at 11.00 pm on Monday. BJP also supported to the Bill finally. As the opposition parties also voted for the Bill it is only a formality now to get it passed in Rajya Sabha and get it sealed by the President.
After the Bill is enacted, India joins the club of Countries who are giving security for food of their citizens. The Bill is going to benefit 82 crore people of India and roughly 67% of the population costing 1.25 lakhs crores of Rupees to the Government to procure 6.20 crores tones of food grains. The beneficieries will be 75% from rural and 50% from urban areas of the Country.
The Government scheme which is the largest in the world makes the beneficiaries in to two categories- Priority one and general. Priority sector gets 7 kilos of food grains per head per month. Among them rice will be supplied for Rs.3/-, wheat for Rs.2/- and coarse grains at Rs.1/- per kilo gram rates of which will stay unchanged for three years.
General category gets 3 kilos of good grains per head per month. The rates charged will be seen that they will not exceed 50% of the Government procurement rate.
Name of the elderly Woman of a house will be considered to issue ration card.
Pregnant and women during lactation will be supplied free food. Women get this benefit from the time of pregnancy till six months of the age of
the new born. They also get a bonus of Rs.6000/- in instalments.
Children up to 14 years will get free food.
The Governments cannot say that the stocks are exhausted. Those State Governments have to pay allowance in lieu of it.
Total transaction from the time of procurement of food grains to the distribution to the eligible will be computerized to ensure transparency and to avoid acts of omissions and commissions in the distribution system.
The people who are without support, homeless, pensioners and those who are victims of natural calamities will be treated as special category and they will be supplied food at free of cost.
(AW-SriJa)
