Government may not table Food Security Bill this session

NEW DELHI: The UPA government’s ambitious Food Security Bill is not likely to be tabled in the coming Budget session. The legislation may be delayed as the food ministry is in the process of redrafting the Bill to incorporate changes suggested by a parliamentary panel.


“After the draft is finalised, it will have to go through interministerial consultation, discussion with state governments and vetting by the law ministry before being sent to the Cabinet for approval.

It’s quite time-consuming and may not be placed before the House in the Budget session,” sources in the ministry said. However, food minister K V Thomas claimed that the Bill will be presented in the Budget session. “We are incorporating changes suggested by the panel.

We will try to present it in the second half of the session,” the minister told ET. The food ministry will hold consultations with state governments on February 13 to incorporate their views in the new draft.

The new draft will widen the scope of beneficiaries by including the 2.52 crore families which have been categorised as the poorest of the poor and are already getting grains at prices recommended in the Bill. The legislation was originally targeted to cover 67% population in the country, costing around Rs 1.20 lakh crore a year. “The standing committee has not mentioned the inclusion of this category that is already getting 35 kg of grains a month, which is higher than the 25 kg recommended by the Bill.



Now, this politically-sensitive Bill will have to include these families retaining their benefits besides broadening coverage in the 250 poorest districts of the country,” a senior food ministry official said. The food ministry is also likely to deviate from the parliamentary standing committee which recommends the passing on of transportation costs to customers. “We think that the prices of grains should be sacrosanct.

Either the Centre or state governments should absorb the transportation cost,” the official said. The government plans to provide wheat for Rs2 a kg, rice for Rs3 a kg and cereals at Rs1 per kg.