The Union Cabinet today approved certain amendments to the National Food Security Bill 2011. The amendments seek to make the framework of the proposed legislation simple.

It also provides more flexibility to states and Union Territories in its implementation besides addressing some of the concerns raised by them.

According to highly placed sources, there will be only one category of beneficiaries instead of two with uniform entitlement of five kilograms of foodgrains per person per month.

Total estimated annual foodgrain requirement is over 612 lakh tonnes costing about one lakh 24 thousand crore rupees.

Compared to existing food subsidy requirement, the additional subsidy implication is estimated to the tune of 23 thousand 800 crore rupees per year.

AIR Correspondent reports that the Bill is a historic initiative for ensuring food security and is based on rights based approach.

About two-thirds of country's population will get legal entitlement under the proposed legislation. The Bill is now pending before the Lok Sabha which was earlier referred to the Standing Committee.

The Government decided to move certain amendments based on the recommendations of Standing Committee and views of various stakeholders.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA today approved a package of over 250 crore rupees to beef up police forces in the naxalite affected areas. Sources said the CCEA, however, deferred a decision on the decontrol of sugar sector.