IMPHAL, September 20: The Irawat Celebration Committee today organized a one day seminar on “Implementation of Food Security Bill-issues and challenges” at the Manipur Press Club.
Speaking during the one day seminar, assistant professor, department of Economics, Thoubal College, Dr L Debendra Singh said that the National Food Security Bill 2013 was tabled, discussed, debated and passed by the Parliament, received the President`s assent, published in the Gazette on 10 Sept 2013 and has now become an Act.
The act has a number of definitions including provisions for food security, to women empowerment, to obligations of the governments and transparency and accountability etc for a healthy society, he said.
Dr L Debendra continued that the salient features of the Food Security Act 2013 includes that 75% percent of the rural and 50% percent of the urban population of the country are entitled to get 5 kg of food grains per month at Rs 3, Rs 2 and Re 1 for rice, wheat and coarse grains respectively.
Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to get nutritious food and a maternity benefit of at least Rs 6000 for six months and children from 6 months to 14 years will get free hot meals or take home rations, he said. He continued that the central government will provide funds to states in case there is a short supply of food grains, while the state government will provide food security allowance to the eligible beneficiaries in case of non-supply of food grains.
Dhanabir Laishram as a resource person said that the act being implemented is an essential one, even though with the rush of the government in turning it into act it would not be wrong to say that the Act is vote bank gimmick of the Congress.