'Ready for talks with state govts on their fears over bill'

The Centre today said it is ready to hold discussions with state governments on their apprehensions over the proposed Food Security Bill, once it is passed in the Parliament.
"I am confident that we will sit with state governments and hold discussions to discuss their apprehensions over the bill once it is passed in Parliament," Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution K V Thomas told reporters here.
Asked when the Bill was likely to be passed, he said the draft is presently the property of Parliament.
He said the Bill has proposed to make mothers the head of the family.

To another query on direct cash transfers, he said it would be implemented only after 90 per cent of beneficiaries get bank accounts. "We are going to introduce it in six Union Territories, based on which we will expand it to other states," Thomas said.
The proposed bill would cover 67 per cent, which is 82 crore of the population, he said.

On the Tamil Nadu government's request for pulses to be made available to the state at proposed subsidised rates directly, he said "So far only PSUs are importing pulses from abroad for distribution to states. The request has been placed before the Cabinet and it will take a decision."

To a query on Meteroloigical department reports that the South West monsoon would be below normal, he said, "No, in the north of Calicut in Kerala it will be normal and in the south of Calicut it will be below normal."
He replied in the negative when asked if there would be a cut in agriculture production. "No, the agriculture ministry has gone through it. There is nothing serious about it.