December 19, 2011

Cabinet clears Food Security Bill 2011

The Union Cabinet has finally given the nod to Sonia Gandhi's ambitious Food Security Bill, which seeks to provide cheaper food to over 63% people in the country.

The scheme will cost the government Rs 27,663 crore, as it plans to give food materials to the poor at a subsidized rate.

According to the provisions of the bill, each person of the priority household would get seven kg rice per month at Rs 3 per kg. They would also get seven kg wheat at Rs 2 per kg and seven kg coarse grains at Rs 1 per kg.

The Food Security Bill had gone into rough weather after some Cabinet Ministers, including Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had objected to it. Once the bill is passed, the government would require 61 million tonnes of foodgrains to provide food security.

A three-tier grievance redressal mechanism, comprising of the District Grievance Redressal Officer (DGRO), State Food Commission and National Food Commission would deal with all issues related to food security and ensure full compliance.

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