The food ministry has cited limited availability of grains for the proposed National Food Security Act and told the National Advisory Council, currently drafting the bill, to provide legal entitlements only to the below poverty line (BPL) persons.
As per the NAC recommendation, the BPL families will get 35 kg of food grains per month, including rice at Rs 3 per kg wheat at Rs 2 per kg and coarse grains at Rs 1 per kg. The APL households will get 20 kg grains per month at 50 per cent of the prevailing minimum support price (MSP).
As per the NAC recommendation, the legal entitlements will cover 75 per cent of the BPL citizens, including 85 per cent in rural areas and 40 per cent in urban areas. Among the APL category, the provisions would cover 44 per cent in rural areas and 22 per cent in urban areas.
Sources said according to these recommendations requirement of grains under the public distribution system (PDS) would substantially increase from the current 47 million tonnes to around 67 mt.
At present, the total PDS beneficiaries include 6.5 crores BPL families, including Antyodaya Anna Yojna beneficiaries and 11.5 crores APL families. The PDS consumes around 47 mt of grains and around 5-7 mt has to be given for the other welfare schemes like the mid-day meal and the child development services.