Cabinet clears ordinance to implement Food Security Bill

The government on Wednesday decided to come out with an ordinance to give nation's two-third population the right to 5kg of foodgrain every month at highly subsidized rates of Rs 1-3 per kg. The Cabinet, which had last month deferred a decision on the issue, approved promulgation of an ordinance to implement the Food Security Bill, sources said. With this, India will join select league of countries in the world that guarantee majority of its population foodgrain. At Rs 125,000 crore of government support, the food security programme will be the largest in the world. The ordinance is being promulgated just weeks before the scheduled monsoon session of Parliament. Even after the ordinance, the bill will have to be approved by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The ordinance, which will guarantee 5kg of rice, wheat and coarse cereals per month per person at a fixed price of Rs 3, 2, 1, respectively, will come into effect after President Pranab Mukherjee signs it. However, about 2.43 crore poorest of the poor families covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) scheme under PDS (public distribution system) would get legal entitlement to 35kg of foodgrains per family per month. Officials said the ordinance will be presented to the President on Thursday. Once the President signs it, rules will be framed. The programme will be rolled-out from August after state governments prepare the beneficiary list. The scheme will take at least six months to cover the entire country, they said.