By IANS,
New Delhi : The National Food Security Bill, which would entitle every below poverty line family access to foodgrain at subsidised rates, would be tabled in parliament’s monsoon session beginning August 1, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister K.V. Thomas said Tuesday.
The legislation will also be used to bring about broader systemic reforms in the public distribution system, Thomas said while addressing a meeting of major foodgrain consuming states here.
The minister asked state governments to improve the public distribution system in a bid make food available to needy people.
The union government recently allocated an additional five million tonnes of foodgrain each for below poverty line (BPL) and above poverty line (APL) families. The allocation has been made at subsidised rates but the offtake so far is only around 50 percent.
Thomas urged state governments to “lift these additional allocation in full and distribute to the targeted beneficiaries”.
The monsoon session of parliament begins Aug 1.