The Centre has convened a meeting of state food ministers on Wednesday February 13 to discuss proposed National Food Security Bill.

With a Parliamentary panel suggesting further pruning of the Food Bill, the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs has decided to consult the states before modifying it.

The Food Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2011, aims to give legal right over subsidised food grains to two-third of the country's population. In its latest report, the Parliamentary panel has suggested drastic changes in the Bill, saying that all the beneficiaries be provided 5 kg of wheat and rice per month at a uniform rate of Rs 2 and Rs 3 per kg.

In the Food Security Bill, the government had proposed to give 7 kg of wheat and rice to a person at Rs 2 and Rs 3 per kg. Non-BPL families, as per the Bill, were to get 3 kg of foodgrain at half of the government fixed minimum support price.