The ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution is at loggerheads with the ministry of agriculture over a proposal to set up an institution similar to Forward Markets Commission (FMC) under the proposed Inter-State Agriculture Produce Trade and Commerce Bill, 2012. The proposed regulator is likely to be placed under the agriculture ministry. This has not gone down well with the food ministry, which is looking at taking a “stern step on this issue”.

If the Consumer Affairs Ministry had its say, imported food grains and pulses containing hazardous foreign matter would have made its way on to the Indian platter. In fact, import of damaged grains too would have been a possibility - on the pretext of the country witnessing inadequate food grains’ production.
The Ministry, besides a number of importers, had called for a relaxation in the existing set norms for the import of food grains including pulses, even if it had extraneous matter or impurities.

It was in January this year that Thomas was given independent charge of the Food portfolio after Pawar requested that his burden be reduced. So Pawar was divested of Food and the portfolio given to his junior minister.
Despite best of personal relations, the two have been sparring since. Consider this:

Sugar Exports

The much-awaited National Food Security Bill will be introduced in the winter session of Parliament incorporating some major changes recommended by the National Advisory Council, chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution K.V. Thomas told The Hindu on Sunday that the council proposed coverage of the food security scheme from the present 45 per cent to an estimated 63 per cent of the population.

Srinagar:  The state government has urged the Centre to cover the entire rural population and 90 per cent of the urban population under the proposed National Food Security Bill.

Minister for Consumer Affairs, Public Distribution and Transport Qamar Ali Akhoon made this plea at a conference chaired by Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution KV Thomas in New Delhi yesterday, an official spokesman said.

LUCKNOW: The ministry of consumer affairs and public distribution has allocated of 5.28 lakh tonnes per month of wheat and rice to Uttar Pradesh for the fiscal year 2011-12.

Under the Act, eldest woman (18 years & above) of household to be deemed its head

India moved a step closer to banishing hunger from the daily lives of millions of its people as the government finalised the draft of the National Food Security Act, which entitles vast sections of Indians to heavily subsidised foodgrain.

Against the backdrop of reports of rotting foodgrains across the country, the Government on Wednesday claimed it is taking all the measures to address the storage capacity concerns.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, KV Thomas said his Ministry has taken initiatives to create additional food grain storage capacity which include 152.97 lakh tonne c

In a major decision that is likely to add to the double-digit food inflation, the government has quietly raised foodgrain prices for Above Poverty Line (APL) families by over 40 per cent.

The decision to this effect was taken at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on December 30.

A PARLIAMENTARY committee has asked the government to consider incentivising private players to set up grain storage facilities as it prepares to implement the right to food.
The government will require around 620 lakh tonnes of foodgrain annually to implement the food security law.