Lok Sabha fails to pass National Food Security Bill

Lok Sabha today failed to pass because of din the much-hyped National Food Security Bill which seeks to ensure access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people.

Food Minister K V Thomas moved the bill for passage and consideration but prevailing uproar over issues like Sarabjit Singh's death, Chinese incursion and domestic issues including coal block allocation and other scams forced adjournment of the House for the day without passage of the measure.

The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December,2011. After being examined by the Standing Committee, it went back to the Cabinet with fresh amendments and was tabled again in the lower house on March 22, the last day of the first part of the Budget session.

The amendments in the Bill are mainly aimed at providing a simpler framework and more flexibility to the states besides lowering their financial burden.

Implementation of the National Food Security Bill, aimed at providing legal entitlement to food to around 67 per cent of the population, is likely to cost the exchequer around Rs 1.23 lakh crore.