Cabinet clears changes made by PM in food security Bill

Amendments to food Bill has been approved by Cabinet, Food Minister K V Thomas said. Amendments include protection of existing foodgrain allocation to states and alteration of the definition of meal to mean hot cooked or pre-cooked food that is heated before being served or take home ration as prescribed by the central government. Ready-to-eat has been removed from this definition.

Last month,Parliament passed the food law to give 67 per cent of the population the right to subsidised foodgrain. Each eligible person would get 5 kg foodgrain per month at Rs 3 per kg of rice,Rs 2 per kg of wheat and Re 1 per kg of coarse cereals under this law.