NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT

Subject: Legislations

Context: House nod needed, Centre builds case for lower food law coverage.

Concept:

About NFSA, 2013

To provide for food and nutritional security in the human life cycle approach through access to adequate quantities of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.
Based on the rural and urban coverage ratio, the erstwhile Planning Commission had determined the state-wise coverage ratio using the National Sample Survey Household Consumption Expenditure coverage under food security law Survey data for 2011-12. The coverage ratio has not been revised since the law came into effect on July 5, 2013.
National Food Security Act, 2013 covers up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population under under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and priority households who receives subsidized food grains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).

Provisions:

The existing AAY household will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per household per month.
5 Kgs of food grains per person per month at Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
Meal and maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000 to pregnant women and lactating mothers during pregnancy and six months after the child birth,
Meals to children up to 14 years of age.
Food security allowance to beneficiaries in case of non-supply of entitled food grains or meals.
Setting up of grievance redressal mechanisms at the district and state level.