INDIA
loopholes of the present TPDS was that there was a leakage of 20 to 35 per cent. PDS related records would be placed in the
public domain and there would be social audit and vigilance committees. It was estimated that the total food grains
THIRD READING: INDIA The National Food Bill, 2013
Article 47 of the Constitution of India, provides that the State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which India is a signatory, also cast responsibilities on all State parties to recognize the right of everyone to adequate food. Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger is one of the goals under the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. In pursuance of the constitutional and the international conventions obligations, providing food security has been focus of the government’s planning and policy. Food security means availability of sufficient food grains to meet the domestic demand as well as access, at the individual level, to adequate quantities of food at affordable prices. Attainment of self- sufficiency in food grains production at the national level has been one of the major achievements of the country.
In order to address the issue of food security at the household level, the government has been implementing the Targeted Public Distribution System under which subsidized food grains are provided to the Below Poverty Line, including Antyodaya Anna Yojana, and Above Poverty Line households. While the Below Poverty Line households under the Targeted Public Distribution System receive 35 kgs food grains per family per month, the allocation to Above Poverty Line households depends upon availability of food grains in the central pool. Allocations for other food based welfare schemes for women and children, natural disasters, etc., are also being made at subsidized rates.
Ensuring food security of the people, however, continues to be a challenge. The nutritional status of the population, and especially of women and children, needs to be improved, hence the requirement for the introduction of the National Food Security Bill. The legislation marks a paradigm shift in addressing the problem of food security—from the current welfare approach to a right based approach. Besides expanding coverage of the Targeted Public Distribution System, the proposed legislation seeks to confer legal rights on eligible beneficiaries to receive entitled quantities of food grains at highly subsidized prices. The objective also caters for women and children to receive meals free of charge.
Some definitions of core terms clarify: “central pool” as the stock of food grains which is: (i) Procured by the Central Government and the State Governments through minimum support price operations; and (ii) maintained for allocations under the Targeted Public Distribution System, other welfare schemes, including calamity relief and such other schemes;
“eligible households” as households covered under the priority households
and the Antyodaya Anna Yojana referred to in sub-section (1) of section 3; and
“fair price shop” a shop which has been licensed to distribute essential com- modities by an order issued under section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, to the ration card holders under the Targeted Public Distribution System.
Chapter II on provisions for food security details the following provisions:
“Entitle every person belonging to priority households, to receive every month from the State Government, under the Targeted Public Distribution System, five kgs of food grains per person per month, at subsidized prices specified in Schedule I to the proposed legislation.
“Entitle every pregnant woman and lactating mother to meals, free of charge, during pregnancy and six months after child birth, through the local anganwadi, so as to meet the nutritional standards specified in Schedule II; of the Bill and to provide to such women maternity benefits of no less than six thousand rupees in such installments as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
Chapter III details provisions entitling the eligible persons under Chapter II of the legislation, to receive such food security allowance from the concerned State Government to be paid to each person, in case of non-supply of the entitled quantities of food grains or meals, within the time and manner prescribed by the Central Government, while Chapter IV outlines provisions with regard to identification of eligible households.
An obligation has been imposed upon the Central Government to ensure regular supply of food grains for persons belonging to eligible households and allocate the required quantity to the State Governments under the System from the central pool as per the entitlements and at prices specified in Schedule I to the legislation.
Provisions have also been made for implementation and monitoring by the State Government of the schemes of various Ministries and Departments of the Central Government in accordance with guidelines issued by the Central Government for each scheme, to ensure food security to the targeted beneficiaries in their State and make the local authorities responsible for the proper implementation of the proposed legislation in their respective areas.
During discussion on the Bill in both Houses of Parliament the legislation was welcomed by almost all sections of the House as watershed legislation seeking to address the primordial needs of marginalized and weaker sections of the society of the country. Some Members did have concerns on the benefits being credited to those in need, while others offered suggestions for effective implementation of the law.
The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue Four | 335
requirement for implementing the National Food Security would be around 62 million tonnes. The estimated food subsidy for the
implementation of the National Food Security Bill, 2013-14 was Rs 1,24,827.
Shri Panda said he was
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