Centre,states differ on definition of BPL families

President Pratibha Patil had mentioned the same in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament earlier this month.

“My government proposes to enact a new law — the National Food Security Act… every family below the poverty line in rural as well as urban areas will be entitled,by law,to 25 kg of rice or wheat per month at Rs 3 per kg.” But state food secretaries,who attended the meeting convened by Union Food Secretary Alka Sirohi,couldn’t agree on what should be the basis for allocation of food grains.

Some of them wanted food grains to be allocated based on state’s assessment of BPL families and not the model prescribed by the Planning Commission.

Under the Planning Commission model,the Centre allocates food grains to over four crore BPL families,while the states have issued BPL card to over eight crore families.

Some states voiced reservations against the proposed law,saying the legal responsibility of implementing the scheme should not rest with them,as it is the Centre that would be deciding on the quantity and number of beneficiaries.