Panels to sort out bottlenecks in food law implementation

Sources said Tamil Nadu Food Minister R Kamaraj demanded an assurance from the Centre that prices for additional foodgrain required to sustain the state PDS will remain unchanged for at least three years. The states asked the Centre to share transportation-handling costs and margins for ration shop dealers.

Thomas admitted that among the main issues was protecting existing allocation. Eighteen states would be getting lower than current allocation. We have assured them it will be protected, he said. On Tamil Nadus demand to protect the quantity of grains and price,he said: Tamil Nadu is worst hit by the food law. We said we will protect their coverage.

The government proposed a committee of secretaries headed by the Food Secretary to sort issues regarding sharing of expenditure towards intra-state transportation and handling of foodgrains,margins to fairprice shop dealers and other implementation issues,the ministry said. A ministerial panel will be set up to address issues regarding finance and other infrastructure problems.

Fifty per cent of states including BJP-ruled ones are ready to implement the food law by end of December, Thomas later said. Food ministers of BJP-ruled Gujarat,MP and Chhattisgarh did not attend the meeting.

On identification of beneficiaries,Thomas said socio-economic caste census would be available to the states by November-end.

Addressing the meeting,Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said he was not against the food law. But he underlined that implementation should enshrine strong domestic production,not imported grains.