Main Points of Food Security Bill 2013

1. The food security bill approved is directed towards giving the right to food to around 67 per cent of India’s 120-crore population (including 75% rural and 50% urban).
2. While families in the poorest of the poor will continue to get 35 kg of grains per month.
3. Rice will be made available at 3 Rupees per Kg.
4. Wheat will cost 2 rupees a kg and cereal will be sold for 1 Rupees per kg.
5. The Food Security programme will be the biggest in the world with the government spending estimated at Rs. 1,25,000 crore annually on supply of about 62 million tonnes of rice, wheat and coarse cereals to 67 per cent of the population.
6. About 2.43 crore poorest of the poor families covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) scheme under PDS (Public Distribution System) would continue to get 35 kg of food grains per family per month but with legal entitlement.
7. In Union Budget 2013-14, Rs 10,000 crore set aside for incremental cost for National Food Security Bill.
8. The scheme will be linked to the Aadhar scheme which provides every citizen with a unique identification number that’s linked to a database that includes the biometrics of all card-holders.
9. C Rangarajan is the head of the committee for examination of the Food Security Bill.
10. NOTE: Chhattisgarh the first state to pass legislation on food security. The state legislative assembly passed the Food Security Bill 2012 that confers legal rights to the beneficiaries to receive food grains and food items at highly subsidized prices.