Centre to give additional food grains

The Centre on Thursday decided to allocate additional 2.7 million tonnes of food grains to BPL and APL families over the next six months to states that have not implemented the national food security law.

As many as 20 states have implemented the National Food Security Act (NFSA), passed by the previous UPA government to provide highly subsidised food grains to nearly two-third of the country’s population.

However, the remaining nine states were still following the targeted public distribution system (TPDS) and the additional allocation of food grains will help them continue the scheme till the shift to the NFSA.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved an additional allocation of 2.7 million tonnes of food grains to non-NFSA states for October-March period of the 2015-16 fiscal or till implementation of the food law, whichever is earlier, at APL and BPL rates, Power Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters here in Newe Delhi.

He hoped that more and more states/Union Territoriess will shift as early as possible to NFSA implementation from the older TPDS pattern.

Rates for wheat

BPL rates for wheat and rice stand at Rs 4.15 per kg and Rs 6.65 per kg, respectively, while that of APL wheat price is Rs 6.10 per kg and rice Rs 8.30 a kg.

The NFSA aims at providing a legal entitlement to 5 kg of subsidised food grains per person every month at Rs 1-3 kg to two-third of India’s population.