K V Thomas, minister of state for agriculture (independent charge), consumer affairs, food & public distribution, while talking to FnB News over telephone has said that finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is the head of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Food, has approved key changes to the proposed National Food Security Bill and it will be presented before the Cabinet soon. He also said that the Cabinet note is ready and has been circulated for inter-ministerial comments.

Thomas informed that Mukherjee had agreed to several key changes such as keeping an option open for supplying more than 3 kg of subsidised food grains to general households. Further, lactating women of the entire country will get cash-handout of Rs 1,000 per month for six months instead of 52 districts and in cases of general households entitlement to subsidised food grains, the word minimum will be inserted in the draft so that the government can increase the allocation if production arises, said the minister.

Source:http://fnbnews.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=30885&sectionid=1