National Food Security bill to be Introduced this Year - Social Sector Receives 36.4 Per Cent of the Total Plan Allocation - Government is Continuing its Focus on Inclusive Development

Union Minister of Finance Shri Pranab Mukherjee while presenting the Union Budget for 2011-12 announced that the National Food Security Bill (NFSB) will be introduced in the Parliament during the course of this year. Shri Mukherjee said that the Government is close to finalization of this Bill after detailed consultations with all stake holders including State Governments.

Referring to the Government’s Schemes of Right to Work for rural people, Right to Information and Right to Education, Shri Mukherjee said that the Government has engineered a major directional change in public policy by its focus on inclusive development.

The Finance Minister said that the allocation for the Social Sector in 2011-12 is being proposed to be Rs.1,60,887 crore, which is an increase of 17 per cent over current year. He pointed out that this allocation amounts to 36.4 per cent of the total Plan allocation.