It’s another social sector scheme for the UPA's ‘aam aadmi’, but the big challenge before the government is how to plug the leakages that drain the gains out of such programmes.

The food security proposal has raised several questions, which are staring the government in the face, like how to plug the leaks and monitor implementation to avoid drawing flak as it had for schemes like NREGA and ICDS.

NC Saxena, Supreme Court commissioner of Food Security, said, “Money is not as much an issue as implementation and monitoring.”

The proposed Bill offers 25 kg food grains for every BPL(Below Poverty Line) family every month, a problem because the Centre is providing 35 kg per family under the public distribution system.

Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, said, “Clearly there will be a Bill. We have a clear commitment to provide subsidised foodgrain. The public distribution ministry will decide on the final draft.”

The cost of providing 25 kg of rice or wheat to 5 crore BPL families will be a huge Rs 55,000 crore a year.

Meanwhile, crores of rupees are being allocated every year to fund programmes for people living below the poverty line but the government figures on the number of BPL households do not seem to tally.

The Planning Commission puts the number of BPL people at 28.3 per cent while the N C Saxena report puts it at 50 per cent.