Cabinet to clear food security bill on Monday
17 Dec 2011
The union cabinet will clear the food security bill in a special session on Monday and it will be put before Parliament before the winter session ends on 22 December, food and public distribution K V Thomas said in Kochi.
He said a consensus had evolved among the partners of the ruling United Progressive Alliance on the bill, aimed at providing a minimum level of sustenance to all citizens.
"All the doubts and apprehensions raised about the bill have been cleared ... we will be introducing it in this Parliament session itself," the minister said.
He echoed the comments of home minister P Chidambaram, who also said in Chennai today that the food security bill would be put before Parliament in this session.
Thomas said the definition of below poverty line (BPL) and other categories would be decided by the centre in keeping with Planning Commission norms.
"The states cannot be given this power (to determine BPL categories). They might do this as per their whims and fancies," he added.
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