At a time when the nation is undergoing an economical crisis,
a ray of hope shines above the gloomy economy “The National Food Security Bill
2013”.The food security programme when implemented will be the
biggest in the world with the government spending estimated at 1.2 lakh crore
rupees annually.
The bill is aimed at giving legal rights to 67 percent of
the population for a uniform quantity of 5 kg food grains at a fixed price of
Rs 1-3 per kg through ration shops.
At a grim current situation where the Indian currency has
taken a toll and economy fails to get back at its suitable place, it’s the poor
who are stricken by the grave economic trough. This programme, which would provide
highly subsidized food to about two-thirds of India’s population, is seen by
many as a means of relief to India’s poor.
If the food security bill is implemented properly it will
benefit the country by raising the poor households’ expenditure of education,
health, and nutritious food, according to a research report from CRISIL. Thus
providing households with additional disposable income, households will in
effect move up the income bracket. In the case of rural households, spending on
education and medical expenditure will increase as income increases. If this
happens; this will help increase investments by households in their future.
Here are some of the highlights of this bill:
·
Up to three-quarters of people in the rural
areas and up to half of the urban population would get five kilograms of grains
per month at subsidized prices (3 rupees per kilo for rice, 2 rupees per kilo
for wheat and 1 rupee per kilo for coarse grains).
·
The poorest households would continue to receive
35 kilograms of grains per month under the “
Antyodaya
Anna Yojana” at subsidized prices.
·
Pregnant women and lactating mothers would
receive a maternity benefit of at least 6,000 rupees.
·
Children aged six months to 14 years would get
take-home ration or hot cooked food.
·
The central government also would provide money
to states and union territories if it runs low on grain.
·
The central government also would provide
“assistance” towards the cost of intra-state transportation, handling of
grains.
·
In a bid to give women more authority in running
their households, the oldest adult woman in each house would be considered the
head of that household for issue of ration card.
If the exercise is carried out correctly, several BPL
households, which currently do not have access to the PDS, will be given some
form of identity proof that will, for the first time, make them eligible for
purchasing food grains at the subsidized rate from the PDS.
In addition to guaranteeing food security to poor
households, the bill could serve as a means to improve their discretionary
spending and thereby improve their quality of life.
In the end I’d like to point out that the ‘Indian National
Food Security Bill” is a great effort to arrest hunger and malnutrition in the
country and such efforts are both affordable for the government, and in fact,
beneficial for the long term sustainability of the Indian economy.
For more detail on the INDIAN
NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY BILL 2013 click on the following link: