New Delhi: The government is working on a draft Food Security Bill, which will be placed before an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) set up to deal with it, Minister of State for Agriculture KV Thomas said.

"Consultations have been held with, and inputs received from, the states and other stake-holders, based on which the various issues have been placed before an EGoM constituted for the purpose," the Minister told the Lok Sabha in a written reply, reports IANS.

"Based on the decisions taken or directions given by the EGoM so far, a draft National Food Security Bill is being prepared which will be placed before the EGoM," the Minister said.

President Pratibha Patil, in her address to the joint session of Parliament last year, had said the government would enact a National Food Security Act which envisages that every Below Poverty Line (BPL) family in the country will be entitled to 25 kg of wheat or rice per month at the rate of Rs 3 per kg.

"The law is also proposed to be used to bring about systemic reforms in the Public Distribution System (PDS)," Thomas said.