House panel likely to recommend scrapping of household categories
Keeping in mind the fiscal implications, the committee is likely to suggest bringing down the food grain entitlements from 7 kg per person per month which is proposed in the Bill to five kg per person per month.
The Bill, which was tabled in Parliament in December 2011 and was referred to the standing committee, had proposed 7 kg per person per month for priority (BPL) households and 3 kg per person per month for general (above poverty line) households.
The Committee will meet on Friday and sources said it is likely to finalise its recommendations. This will pave for the consideration of the Bill in the forthcoming Budget session of Parliament.
The panel’s suggestions may mean that those households of five persons, which are covered under the legislation (75 per cent in rural and 50 per cent in urban areas), would be guaranteed 25 kg of food grains per month. While the Bill had proposed differential pricing — rice at Rs 3 a kg and wheat at Rs 2 a kg for BPL households and 50 per cent of minimum support price for APL families — the suggestion for scrapping of categories
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