Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Union government to withdraw or reconsider the draft National Food Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026, warning that the proposed changes would slash food grain entitlements for nearly 70 lakh poor and vulnerable residents of the state. The letter, sent from Chennai, follows the Union Department of Food and Public Distribution's publication of the draft bill on 24 June 2026.

What the Amendment Proposes

The draft bill seeks to replace the existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) entitlement of a flat 35 kilograms of food grains per household per month — regardless of family size — with a per-person allocation of 7 kilograms per month, capped at a maximum of 35 kilograms per household. The Union government has stated the change aims to address allocation inequities and better align food support with nutritional requirements.

Why Tamil Nadu Would Be Hit Harder

Chief Minister Vijay argued that the per-person formula would disproportionately penalise Tamil Nadu, where the average family size stands at just 3.54 members — well below the five-member threshold at which the new ceiling would match current entitlements. Tamil Nadu currently holds 18.64 lakh AAY ration cards covering 69.27 lakh beneficiaries, including widows, persons with disabilities, senior citizens without regular income, tribal families, landless agricultural labourers, daily wage earners, and people with life-threatening illnesses.

Of these, 15.75 lakh AAY households have fewer than five family members, covering approximately 58.51 lakh people — all of whom would receive less grain under the revised formula.

The Numbers: A Sharp Drop in Allocation

Tamil Nadu currently receives 65,261 metric tonnes of food grains every month for AAY beneficiaries at no cost from the Centre. Under the proposed amendment, that figure would fall to approximately 42,040 metric tonnes — a reduction of over 23,000 metric tonnes per month. Vijay warned that the shortfall would force poor families to purchase food from the open market, heightening risks of hunger and malnutrition in a state where rice underpins daily meals, from idli and dosa to pongal.

The Family Planning Argument

In a pointed observation, the Chief Minister argued that switching from a household-based entitlement to a per-person allocation with a ceiling effectively penalises states that have successfully implemented family planning programmes. Tamil Nadu's smaller average household size, he noted, is in part a consequence of decades of demographic policy — and the amendment would turn that achievement into a food security liability. This comes amid broader Centre-state tensions over the National Food Security Act, 2013, which was designed to provide assured, unconditional household-based entitlements to the country's most vulnerable.

What Tamil Nadu Is Asking For

Vijay has requested that the Centre retain the existing provision of 35 kilograms per household per month under the AAY, irrespective of family size, consistent with the practice since the NFSA's enactment in 2013. He expressed hope that the concerns of nearly 70 lakh poor citizens would receive favourable consideration. Similar impacts, he noted, would be felt in other states with comparably small average household sizes. The Centre has not yet responded publicly to the letter.