Let states decide beneficiaries: House panel on food Bill

The panel chaired by Lok Sabha MP Vilas Muttemwar has also asked the government to devise a clearly defined criteria in consultation with the states to identify those outside the ambit of the scheme, seeking to expand the scope of existing public distribution system.

Sources told FE that to deal with the rising food subsidy bill, the committee is likely to suggest reducing foodgrain entitlements under the proposed legislation from 7 kg per person a month to 5 kg per person a month.

While the earlier version of the Bill had envisaged grains to be supplied at R3 a kg for rice and wheat at R 2 a kg for BPL households and 50% of minimum support price (MSP) for Above Poverty Line (APL) families, the panel's suggestion for scrapping of categories would result in a single uniform BPL price for people covered under the food law.

The panel is reportedly asked for the inclusion of pulses, oils and millets in addition to grains under PDS, which is expected deal with the problems of 'malnutrition'.

The Bill, which was tabled in Parliament in December 2011 and was subsequently referred to the standing committee, had proposed 7 kg per person a month for priority (BPL) households and 3 kg per person a month for general households.

While the government had budgeted R74, 551

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