With the revised National Food Security Bill set to be introduced in Parliament, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) has warned the government's move to distribute highly subsidised foodgrains to two-thirds of the population as a legal entitlement that would create a serious crisis of ‘food management’in the country.

CACP chairman Ashok Gulati told FE that in the absence of huge investments in irrigation, foodgrain storage facilities and improvement in rail infrastructure for transportation of grains, the implementation of the proposed food security legislation would not be sustainable in the long run.

The revised national food security Bill will be taken up by the Cabinet in a special meeting on Monday. Under the Bill, the subsidised price of the foodgrains to the defined sections of beneficiaries would be fixed for three years, rather than one year as proposed initially.

Despite a parliamentary panel opposing it, the Bill would seek to continue with the policy of providing highly subsidised foodgrains to poorest of the poor BPL families under the Antyodaya Anna Yojna (AAY).

Despite severe opposition from civil society groups, the Union government has decided to cut the entitlement of a beneficiary to subsidised grain from 7 kg a month (as provided in the National Food

As the Congress-led Centre braces itself for its ambitious National Food Security Bill whose revised version is slated to be placed during this Parliament session between March 19 and 21, activists of the Right to Food Campaign have announced a fresh round of demonstrations to push for universal comprehensive food security with entitlements of food grains, oils and pulses.

Rejecting the latest draft, which according to the Union Food Minister, K.V. Thomas, has been prepared after more than 252-odd amendments, they described it as "piecemeal, diluted and minimalistic" and one that will lead to a lot of poor slipping from the gaps.

About 30% of people in India were below the poverty line in 2009-10 that was based on the monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) of R673 for rural areas and R860 for urban areas, Parliament was informed today.

“As per the latest available information, the poverty line at all India level for 2009-10 is estimated as MPCE of R673 for rural areas and R860 for urban areas. The percentage of people living below poverty line in the country in 2009-10 has been estimated at 29.8 per cent,” minister of State for Parliamentary affairs and planning Rajeev Shukla told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

The Centre proposes to move at least 250 amendments to the National Food Security Bill when it is tabled in Parliament during the current Budget session.

The Bill, which seeks to give subsidised foodgrains to identified beneficiaries, will take into consideration the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food. Disclosing this, Right to Food activists said that during their meeting with the Minister of State for Food K.V. Thomas, they were given the assurance that the 2.5 crore Antyodaya Anna Yojana beneficiaries will continue to get 35 kg of concessional foodgrains.

29 lakh ration cardholders face exclusion from scheme

The proposed National Food Security Act, touted as the flagship social security programme of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, will turn out to be a damp squib for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala. The provisions in the Bill pose a threat to Kerala’s public distribution system, and if passed, it is will directly hit the UDF’s prestigious targeted foodgrain distribution programme.