Two-day meeting of state Food ministers at New Delhi on Oct3,4

Meeting will include modernisation of the Public Distribution System

A two-day meeting of state Food ministers and secretaries would be held in New Delhi on October 3 and 4 to ensure a smooth roll out of newly passed Food security law.

The meeting, the first called by the Food ministry after the food security bill was recently passed by both houses of Parliament, would discuss various issues, including modernisation of the Public Distribution System (PDS).

There is need to modernise the PDS system as loopholes have to be plugged, Union Food Minister K V Thomas, told a Meet-the-Press Programme organised by the Ernakulam Press Club here.

There is at least 30 per cent leakage in implementation of PDS and plan is to bring it down to the minimum, he said.

There is need to plug leakages by using various measures, including linking it with Aadhar and bringing in the biometric system. Expenses for implementing these measures would be shared equally by the central and state government on a 50:50 basis, he said.

"Each state has their own problems and we need to discuss them and iron them out," he said, adding there are also plans to modernise PDS shops.

Pointing out the need to put up more intermediate storage facilities, he said about 62 million tonnes of food grains would be needed to implement the new scheme for which at least one fourth capacity of intermediate storage facilities are needed.

Totally about 40 lakh intermediate godowns have up come so far in many states. But Kerala does not have such a facility, he said.

The Food security law, is expected to be fully implemented within a year, he said, adding at least 17 states would get more food grains than what they were getting now.

Pulses, edible oil and drinking water will also be brought under the PDS system, he said.

With the Food security law becoming a reality, the UPA government was also looking at the Right to housing scheme, Thomas added.