Question : NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ORDINANCE

(a) whether the Government has assessed the impact of the National Food Security Ordinance, 2013 on the present foodgrains based welfare schemes, food procurement, farmers and the food industry;

(b) if so, the details and the outcome thereof along with the corrective steps taken in this regard;

(c) whether some States have raised objections on certain points like exclusion of some beneficiaries, reduction in their present quota and criteria for identification in view of the difference in the socio-economic conditions in various States/ regions; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto along with the steps taken to bring a consensus amongst the States in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K.V. THOMAS)

(a), (b), (c) & (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 101 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 13-8-2013 IN THE LOK SABHA

(a) & (b): Currently foodgrains are being provided at prices applicable to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households for schemes such as Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Mid Day Meal (MDM), Welfare Institutions/Hostels, Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (Sabla), Annapurna etc. Out of these, the meals provided to pregnant women and lactating mothers and children up to 6 years under ICDS Scheme and children from 6 years to fourteen years of age under MDM Scheme have become legal entitlements under National Food Security Ordinance, 2013 (NFSO). Foodgrains for these schemes, as per the NFSO, will be provided at Rs. 1/2/3 per kg for coarse grains, wheat and rice respectively. NFSO further provides that the provisions of this Ordinance shall not preclude the Central Government or the State Government from continuing or formulating other food based welfare schemes. As regards impact of NFSO on procurement and farmers, the existing procurement policy of the Government will continue under which all the foodgrains conforming to prescribed specifications offered for sale at specified centres are purchased by the public procurement agencies at Minimum Support Price (MSP). Farmers will therefore continue to receive benefits of remunerative prices in the form of MSP. The Ordinance is not likely to have any impact on food industry.

(c) & (d): References have been received from some States/UTs on various aspects of implementation of the Ordinance, such as exclusion of beneficiaries, impact on foodgrain allocation, identification of beneficiaries etc. The Ordinance has been promulgated after a wide ranging process of consultation with various stakeholders, including States/UTs. Central and State Governments are required to take action as per responsibilities assigned to them under the Ordinance. Government has now introduced the National Food Security Bill, 2013 in the Lok Sabha on 07.08.2013 to replace the Ordinance.