Protesting against the Centre’s proposal to extend the cash transfer scheme to the Public Distribution System, the Right to Food Campaign on Saturday demanded that the government bring in a comprehensive national food security Act that provides for universal PDS. Ensuring nutrition through various measures should be the focus of the Bill.

The Bill is under consideration of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food. Participating in the concluding session of the three-day protest rally here, economist Jayati Ghosh argued that a universal PDS was an essential part of sound economic policy. She expressed the apprehension that the main beneficiaries of cash transfers would be commercial enterprises.