The Food Ministry today said the consultation process on the crucial National Food Security Bill of the government is almost over and the draft Bill will be presented to Cabinet by November 20.

"I propose to finish all the work and bring the draft National Food Security Bill to Cabinet before November 20," Food and Consumer Affairs Minister K V Thomas told reporters.

"Consultation process is almost over and we have got the views of almost all the state governments except Andhra Pradesh," the minister said while giving details on the progress of the crucial legislation.

Thomas had last Saturday discussed the National Food Security legislation with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The proposed Bill aims to provide the right to subsidised foodgrains to nearly 70 per cent of the country's population.

He had told Gandhi that the Food Ministry will start finalising the draft Bill next week.

"We have received feedback from state governments. There are some changes. We will start preparing the final Bill next week," Thomas had told Gandhi.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had asked the states to send their comments on the draft Bill at the earliest to help the government finalise the Bill for introduction in the Winter Session of Parliament.

Earlier, the Bill, which was expected to be tabled in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, was deferred for detailed consultations with the state governments.

Meanwhile, at an event here, Thomas received a cheque of Rs 75.88 lakh from cooperative NCCF as dividend for year 2010-11.

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Govt to brainstorm solution to high food prices

Concerned over high food inflation, the Food Ministry today said that it will brainstorm with the finance and agriculture ministries to identify areas putting pressure on prices and work out a solution to contain inflation.

"We are highly concerned about high inflation. We will sit together (with Finance and Agriculture Minister) and discuss which are the areas causing high inflation and work out what can be done," Food and Consumer Affairs Minister K V Thomas told reporters.

Food prices rose to a six-month high of 11.43 per cent for the week ended October 15, driven by soaring milk and vegetable prices.

Thomas, who had a meeting with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on high inflation last week, said his ministry will seek the help of cooperatives in controlling inflation.

"We will use services of agri-cooperatives NCCF and NAFED to control food prices," the minister said on the sidelines of a NCCF function.

A concerned Gandhi had last Saturday discussed the steps needed to check high prices with Thomas.

Food and Consumer Affairs Secretary Rajeev Aggarwal said the ministry would propose more financial support to NCCF and NAFED in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17) so that they could provide all consumer items to people at a subsidised rate.

Prominent agri-cooperative agencies Nafed and NCCF played crucial role in providing onions at concessional prices to people in Delhi when retail prices of the bulb had soared to Rs 80-85 a kg early this year.

Thomas said the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF) is doing a good job and we want role of cooperatives to be strengthened in controlling food prices.