The National Food Security Bill will be introduced in Parliament today. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Food and Public Distribution Minister K V Thomas said that the bill will be first tabled in the Lok Sabha. The Union Cabinet had approved the Food Security bill on last Sunday.

Mr. Thomas said that Centre is developing a mechanism to share the additional cost on the Food Security Bill with the states. He said that the total financial liability to implement the law would be 3.5 lakh crore rupees.

The Minister said that funds will be required to raise agriculture production, create storage space and publicity among others. He however, expressed confidence that there will be no financial stress on implementing the Bill.

Mr. Thomas said that from the proposed 75 percent of the rural population covered under the bill; at least 46 percent will be priority house holds from the weaker sections.

From 50 percent of the urban population, at least 28 percent will be priority households. Mr. Thomas said that government will provide nutritional meals for the children while 1000 rupees per month for six months to the pregnant women.

The bill also provides for 7 kg of food grains per person per month to priority households. Rice will be distributed at 3 Rupees per kilo, wheat at 2 rupees per kilo and coarse grains at 1 rupee per kilogram.

AIR correspondent reports that this is a major initiative by the UPA government, and considered to be pet project of Sonia Gandhi, after Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The Congress Party had promised food law in its manifesto for 2009 election and President had announced this in her address to the joint session of Parliament in June 2009.