Dear Comrades,
The National Food Security Ordinance – Highlights
The National Food
Security Ordinance is a historic initiative for ensuring food and nutritional
security to the people. It gives right to the people to receive adequate
quantity of foodgrains at affordable prices. The Food Security
Bill has special focus on the needs of poorest of the poor, women and children.
In case of non-supply of foodgrains now people will get Food Security
Allowance. The bill provides for grievance redressal mechanism and
penalty for non compliance by public servant or authority. Other features of
the Ordinance are as follows.
Coverage of two thirds population to get highly susidized foodgrains
Upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50%
of the urban population will have uniform entitlement of 5 kgfoodgrains per
month at highly subsidized prices of Rs. 3, Rs. 2, Rs. 1 per
kg. for rice, wheat, coarse grains respectively . It will
entitle about two thirds of our 1.2 billion population to subsidised foodgrains under
the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS.
Poorest of the poor continue to get 35 kg per
household
The
poorest of poor households would continue to receive 35 Kg foodgrains per
household per month underAntyodaya Anna Yajna at
subsidized prices of Rs 3, Rs 2 and Rs 1. It is also proposed to protect the
existing allocation of foodgrains to the States/Uts, subject to it
being restricted to average annual offtake during last three years.
Eligible households to be identified by the States
Corresponding
to the coverage of 75% rural and 50 % of urban population at all India level,
State wise coverage will be determined by the Central Government. The work of
identification of eligible households is left to the States/UTs, which may
frame their own criteria or use Social Economic and Caste Census data, if they
so desire.
Special focus on nutritional support to women and
children
There
is a special focus on nutritional support to women and children. Pregnant women
and lactating mothers, besides being entitled to nutritious meals as per the
prescribed nutritional norms will also receive maternity benefit of at least of
Rs. 6000/-. Children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years will be entitled
to take home ration or hot cooked food as per prescribed nutritional norms.
Food Security Allowance in case of non supply of foodgrains
The
Central Government will provide funds to States/UTs in case of short supply of
food grains from Central pool, In case of non-supply of food grains or meals to
entitled persons, the concerned State/UT Governments will be required to
provide such food security allowance as may be prescribed by the Central
Government to the beneficiaries.
States to get assistance for intra-State transportation
and handling of foodgrains
In
order to address the concern of the States regarding additional financial
burden, Central Government will provide assistance to the States towards cost
of intra-State transportation, handling of foodgrains and FPS dealers’
margin, for which norms will be developed. This will ensure timely
transportation and efficient handling offoodgrains.
Reforms for doorstep delivery of foodgrains
The
Bill also contains provisions for reforms in PDS through doorstep delivery of foodgrains,
application of information and communication technology (ICT) including end to
end computerisation, leveraging ‘Aadhaar’ for unique identification of
beneficiaries, diversification of commodities under TPDS etc for effective
implementation of the Food Security Act. Some of these reforms are
already underway.
Women Empowerment-- Eldest women will be Head of the
household
Eldest
woman of eighteen years of age or above will be head of the household for issue
of ration card, and if not available, the eldest male member is to be the head
of the household.
Grievance redressal mechanism at district level
There
will be state and district level redressal mechanism with designated
officers. The States will be allowed to use the existing machinery
for District Grievance Redressal Officer (DGRO), State Food
Commission, if they so desire, to save expenditure on establishment of new redressal set
up. Redressal mechanism may also include call centers, helpline etc.
Social audits and vigilance committees to ensure
transparency and accountability
Provisions
have also been made for disclosure of records relating to PDS, social audits
and setting up of Vigilance Committees in order to ensure transparency and
accountability.
Penalty for non compliance
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 (DGRO).
Expenditure
At the proposed
coverage of entitlement, total estimated annual foodgrains requirement
is 612.3 lakh tons and corresponding estimated food subsidy for
2013-14 costs is about Rs.1,24,724 crore.
PIB NCJ/RV (Release ID :97050)
