Poor children up to the age of six years to get free meals, Bill emphasizes reforms in public distribution system
The revised food security Bill, which is expected to be tabled on Friday in the Lok Sabha, has provisions to make state governments pay allowances to beneficiaries in case they fail to provide the foodgrain promised under the proposed legislation, and extends maternity benefits to every pregnant woman and lactating mother irrespective of the number of children.
Poor children up to the age of six years will get free meals. Also among the amendments circulated to the members of Parliament are provisions that the states should identify the beneficiaries and display their names.
All states should form a food commission to monitor the implementation and violations of the law and will have the powers of a civil court.
The Bill, which was cleared by the Union cabinet on Tuesday, also emphasizes reforms in the public distribution system (PDS) for effective implementation of the scheme such as doorstep delivery of foodgrain, use of information technology-enabled applications and the Aadhaar unique identity number for targeting benefits.