Union AgricultureMinister Sharad Pawar said today that the Centre plans tointroduce a Food Security Bill in the Lok Sabha to providefoodgrains to 67 per cent population of the country.
Announcing this before a rally of NCP femaleactivists here, Pawar praised farmers for the nation'sself-sufficiency in foodgrains.
Pawar said that farmers produced enough foodgrain forIndia to supply to 18 countries.
"It is this success of our farmers that has promptedthe Centre to decide to introduce the Food Security Bill inthe Lok Sabha in the next three months. The Bill aims toprovide jowar at Rs 1 a kilo, wheat at Rs 2 a kilo and rice atRs 3 a kilo to 67 per cent of the population," he said.
Pawar said that a family would get a maximum of 35 kgof ration per month under this scheme. He said that he opposedgiving money instead of ration to beneficiaries.
"There is every possibility of money being misused, soI opposed it," he said.
He said that under the scheme, three months' rationwould be given in one stroke. Women would understand theimportance of this decision better, he said. He also suggestedthat women folk should be engaged in keeping a vigil overdistribution of foodgrains from fair price shops.
"We shall do it at the Centre and you do it in theState," he said.