The Indian government is sitting on one of world's biggest hoards of food grains, about 667 lakh tons as of January 1, 2013.

Recommends 5 kg of foodgrains, down from the earlier 7 kg

A day before the Congress’s ‘Chintan Shivir’, a Parliament Standing Committee on Thursday presented the much-awaited report on the Food Security Bill, giving legal entitlement of uniform five kg of foodgrains to 75 per cent of the country’s rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population without any distinction. The grains will be distributed at a flat rate of Rs 3 per kg for rice, Rs 2 for wheat and Rs 1 per kg for coarse cereals.

Recommends a mandatory coverage of 67 per cent of population for subsidised grains

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food has recommended a mandatory coverage of 67 per cent of the country’s population for subsidised rice, wheat and millets under the National Food Security Bill with a reduced and uniform monthly entitlement of 5 kg per person. As opposed to an overwhelming demand from States and civil society groups for universal public distribution system to ensure “food and nutrition security,” the UPA government’s ambitious Bill proposes coverage of 75 per cent rural and 50 per cent urban population at 2011 census figures.

Hyderabad: Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said Andhra Pradesh had become the first state in India to provide food security for the poor with his government’s “Mana Biyyam” (our rice) scheme.

The scheme is aimed at providing quality rice for just Rs 1 per kg through the public distribution system. The scheme will cover nearly 2.2 crore white ration card holders in the state at an annual expenditure of Rs 9,600 crore.

‘Cos, both PSUs & private, have neither operated in an environmentally sustainable manner, nor socially beneficial manner’

“Mining only leads to greater poverty,” Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of Rural Development explained to the tribals of Lanjigarh, Odisha at the foothills of the Niyamgiri hills. This is the union minister's first visit to the naxal-affected Kalahandi district, a political tinderbox, where tribal interests are ranged against big corporates. Mr Ramesh insisted his visit was part of his agenda to visit all naxal affected districts and fight extremism with increased rural development.

Delhi set to become first kerosene-free state

With the distribution of filled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders in the Rajinder Nagar assembly constituency, the government has begun the process of making Delhi a kerosene-free state. The constituency is represented by the Transport Minister, Ramakant Goswami. A few years ago, the government had announced that it would distribute gas cylinders and stoves free of charge to the BPL cardholders to make the Capital kerosene-free.