The Cabinet will take up the National Food Security Bill for discussion and approval today. This was stated by Food and Public Distribution Minister K. V. Thomas while talking to reporters outside Parliament. He said the Bill was likely to be introduced in this Session of Parliament. Mr. Thomas said the Bill aimed to cover about half of the urban population and about two third of the rural population for the entitled food grains.

Earlier, the Minister told the Rajya Sabha that under the new Bill, the distribution, evaluation and deciding the particular sectors had almost been entrusted to the Panchayati Raj institutions.