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 food grains 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 food grains 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 kg foodgrains 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 under Antyodaya 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 of foodgrains.
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.
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