The Union food ministry has proposed some major changes to Sonia Gandhi’s pet project, the National Food Security Bill, the passage of which has been delayed for long due to differences between the ministry and policy-makers. The ministry’s alternative approach to the bill, also called Plan B, suggests that the beneficiaries of food security should be identified as a single category instead of classifying them as general and priority groups. However, it has proposed to reduce food entitlement from 7 kg to 5 kg per person per month. Sources said that food minister K.V. Thomas is all set to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a week to get his nod for the changes.
Plan B, while retaining the existing provision of covering 75% rural and 50% urban population under the scheme, says that it will give 90% coverage in the north-eastern states, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand, apart from keeping it at 75% in 250 backward districts in other states.
Apparently to cool down the opposition from state governments to the existing food bill, Plan B allows the state governments and Union Territories “to evolve their own criteria for determining the excluded category and for identification of the people (to be benefited by the scheme)”. Thus it also makes it clear that the identification of the beneficiary group will not be based on the ongoing Social Economic and Caste Census.
It also says that the expenditure on inter-state transportation and handling of foodgrains may be met by the Central government, which, under the existing bill, was the responsibility of the state governments. It also says that only an enabling provision may be made in the bill for grievance redressal mechanism at the district and state levels or setting up of state food commissions, leaving it up to states to appoint/constitute them or use the existing set up for the purpose.
While provisions in the bill regarding Integrated Child Development Services and midday meal scheme and other existing welfare schemes may be retained, the provision for meals to destitutes, homeless, emergency/disaster-affected persons and persons living in starvation may be dropped as Plan B says that “they are difficult to implement”.
Sources said that the ministry, if permitted by the Prime Minister, is planning to get the changes moved in the parliamentary standing committee which is currently examining the bill.