The Centre’s ambitious food security initiative is expected to benefit non-UPA ruled states with food grain entitlements being doubled for Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Under the Food Security Bill, between 80 and 88 per cent of the rural population in Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur would get food grains at low rates.
These figures are much more than what the states have been receiving under the public distribution system.
The food security scheme aims to provide a kg of rice for Rs 3, wheat for Rs 2 and coarse grain for Re 1 for around 67 per cent of the population.
Right now, only 34 per cent of the population is entitled to get foodgrains at this cost. The new inclusion formula devised by the Planning Commission and the Food Ministry is based on a 2011-12 consumption expenditure survey.
Internal assessment
An internal assessment by the Food Ministry showed that almost 79.56 per cent of the rural population and 64.43 per cent of the urban population in Uttar Pradesh will be covered under the new law.
In Bihar, 85.12 per cent of the rural population and 74.53 per cent of the urban population will benefit from the scheme.
In Karnataka, 76.04 per cent of the rural population and 49.36 per cent of the urban population will benefit from the scheme.
In Tamil Nadu, it is 62.55 per cent of the rural population as against 37.79 per cent of the urban population.
In Kerala, 52.63 per cent of the rural population and 39.50 per cent of urban population will benefit from the scheme.
In Jammu & Kashmir, 63.55 per cent of the rural population and 47.10 per cent of the urban population are entitled to receive foodgrains.
Around 84.25 per cent of Chhattisgarh’s rural population and 59.98 per cent of the urban population will come under the ambit of the scheme.
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