All you need to know about National Food Security Bill : 2.

11/10/2016.
       771.
                All Members,
         Respected family members of this great holy Nation.

Sub : All you need to know about National Food Security Bill
Part-2.

Ref : Media Reports - First post

Here are a few facts about the Bill:

The chronology

• The Bill was originally conceived by the National Advisory Council headed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who on 27 October, 2010, forwarded the basic framework of the proposed National Food Security Bill (NFSB) to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Bill envisaged covering 75 per cent of the country's population, 90 per cent in rural areas and 50 per cent in urban areas.

• The prime minister set up an expert panel nder the chairmanship of C Rangarajan to study the NAC's proposal. The committee estimated that the total annual foodgrain requirement to roll out the NAC's recommendations covering 72 per cent of the population in the first phase and 75 per cent in the final phase was 68.76 million tonnes and 73.98 million tonnes, respectively.

• The panel brought down the coverage to 67 per cent of the population and suggested reforming the public distribution system.

• The government finally in July promulgated the National Food Security Ordinance, which has been made into a Bill now.
The details

• The Bill seeks to offer rice at Rs 3 per kg, wheat at Rs 2 per kg and coarse cereals at Rs 1 per kg to the intended beneficiaries. Up to 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population will get 5 kg of foodgrain monthly. The poorest who fall under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana will continue with their present monthly entitlement of 35 kg of food grains.

• The Bill will entitle around 80 million of India's 1.2 billion population to subsidised foodgrain under the Targeted Public Distribution System.
• States are given the responsibility to decide on eligibility criteria based on socio-economic and caste census (SECC) data. However, the SECC survey is likely to take six more months.

• Pregnant women and lactating mothers would receive a maternity benefit of at least Rs 6,000 .

• Children aged six months to 14 years will get take-home rations or hot cooked food.

• The central government will also provide money to states and union territories if it runs low on grain as well as providing them with "assistance" towards the cost of intra-state transportation and handling of grains.

• In a bid to give women more authority in running their households, the oldest adult woman in each house would be considered the head of that household for the issuing of ration cards.

• At the coverage and entitlement now proposed, the 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 1,24,747 crore.

• There will be state and district level redressal mechanism with designated nodal officers. Redressal mechanism may also include call centers, helpline etc.

• 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

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           JAIHIND.
            To be continued...