New Delhi: Sonia Gandhi-led National
Advisory Council Sunday finalized the basic framework of the
draft food security bill that aims to make differential legal
entitlement of foodgrains to 75 per cent households.
The NAC, which was yet to receive a government-appointed
expert panel's remarks on its recommendations, is understood
to have reached a consensus on the basic framework of the
draft legislation.
In October last, the panel chaired by Gandhi had drawn up
ambitious plans to make differential legal entitlement of
foodgrains to 75 per cent households covering rural and urban
areas.
As per the recommendations, 90 per cent of the rural
areas and 50 per cent of the urban parts are proposed to be
covered under the draft food security law.
The NAC had sent its recommendations to the government on
October 27 following which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had
asked Chairman of his Economic Advisory Council C Rangarajan
to examine the proposals.
Reports had it that the Rangarajan Committee was of the
opinion that implementation of the NAC recommendation would
not be feasible after factoring in the availability of
foodgrains.
"We have not received the Rangarajan Committee report.
Whatever we have heard about it is through media reports," a
NAC member said.
The member said that estimates of the NAC on foodgrain
procurement were "more realistic" as it had consulted the
Planning Commission and the Food Ministry before finalising
its recommendations.
A statement issued after the NAC meeting said: "After
deliberations the Council suggested that the Note be supported
with more analytical content. The revised note may be placed
before the NAC at its next meeting".
A member said that the NAC wanted to have a preamble or
an analytical section to the draft bill explaining the
rationale for it.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 10, 2011, 21:57