The Tamil Nadu Government has urged the Centre to expedite financial assistance for its Rs 700 crore scheme to computerise the PDS with a view to increase efficiencies of operation.

It also pleaded with the Centre to exempt the State from the purview of the proposed Food Security law and reconsider its decision to implement the Targetted Public Distribution System.

Multigrain noodles that claim to be healthier than the regular variety, digestive biscuits that help weight loss and drinks that make champions out of little children — cracking down on such advertisements, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has sent notices to the manufacturers asking them to justify the claims with appropriate evidence or face action for violating the advertising code for food items and supplements.

Even as the Centre prepares to implement its proposed national Food Security Act, States have expressed their unhappiness about the contours of the Bill, particularly the cap on the number of beneficiaries which will automatically reduce their allocation of subsidised foodgrains.

As states, irrespective of their political affiliations, raise objections to the proposed Food Security Act, the food ministry on Thursday said it would analyse all suggestions and refer these to a standing committee. It has also decided to hold separate discussions with all states to find a workable solution for proper implementation of the programme. The Food Security Bill, which proposes to provide cheap grains to 63 per cent of the population, is being discussed by a parliamentary standing committee.

Even as the government is pushing through Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s pet project - the National Food Security Bill - two key members of the Cabinet - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar - today voiced their concern over crucial aspects related to the proposed law that aims to make food a legal entitlement. While Mukherjee’s main worry was the country’s skyrocketing subsidy Bill, Pawar’s concern revolves around whether the existing mechanism was compatible enough to implement the proposed Food Security Act.

Reiterating his opposition to the proposed National Food Security Bill, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said it would be difficult to implement the law through existing Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), which has a lot of loopholes. “Public distribution system involving the procurement, transportation, storage and distribution is extremely complex and this is what makes it vulnerable at every stage.

Kerala on Wednesday raised serious apprehensions on the effectiveness of the proposed national food security law as it could remove large number of poor families from the beneficiary list besides putting enormous financial burden on the state. Shibu Baby John, food and civil supplies minister, Kerala said the centre must apply separate socio-economic critieria for choosing beneficiaries under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) as because of better human index of the state, many families could be deprived from getting benefits of subsidised grain.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said it will be difficult to implement the proposed Food Security Act with existing distribution system and suggested massive reforms.

“I will be failing in my duty if I do not emphasise the fact that the Food Security Act will never succeed in achieving its goal in letter and spirit, if we try to push the same through the existing PDS apparatus,” Mr. Pawar said at a conference here.

New Delhi Officials of the food, agriculture and finance ministries will meet the state and central ministers concerned in a bid to thrash out objections raised by the states over the proposed Food Security Bill. The two-day conference that begins on Wednesday will also take up the creation of additional infrastructure for grain storage.