President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday signed the ordinance on the National Food Security Bill, which paves the way for the implementation of the proposed legislation that envisages providing 5 kg of highly subsidised foodgrains to 67% of the population.
The president gave his nod to the ordinance, which was received by his office on Thursday following the Cabinet deciding to adopt an ordinance route a day before. The ordinance will now have to be approved by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in six months.
The National Food Security law is expected to cost around R25,000 crore annually for supplying about 62 mt of rice, wheat and coarse cereals to a major chunk of country’s population. Under the ordinance, the list of beneficiaries would be prepared by the state governments.
The food security law guarantees 5 kg of rice, wheat and coarse cereals a month per person at a fixed price of R3, 2, 1, respectively. However, about 2.43 crore poorest of the poor families covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) scheme under the existing Public Distribution System (PDS) would continue to get 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month, but with legal entitlement.