New Delhi:
The UPA government's ambitious Food Security Bill finally seems to be getting off the ground at a whopping cost of Rs 1.25 lakh crore.
With constant disruptions by the Opposition in Parliament resulting in a delay in passing the Food Security Bill, the government has decided to not wait any longer. The cabinet will today promulgate an ordinance to push through the bill, which is the brainchild of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The move will make the Food Security Bill a law without taking prior approval from Parliament, something that the Opposition is strongly objecting to.
"A bill that's so important to national life is being passed through an ordinance. It's shameful and can't be a worse advertisement of parliamentary system," said CPM's Nilotpal Basu.
Sushma Swaraj, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, too had said that the BJP wants the bill and does not mind a special session of Parliament to get it passed, but they strongly oppose an ordinance.
The government's calculation, however, seems different. Once an ordinance is passed, the Government will bring the bill on priority. Since the ordinance is the same as the bill introduced in the Lok Sabha and already examined by a Parliamentary committee, there can be a debate straightaway. If the Opposition stalls it, the Congress will blame them for "acting against the poor." Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has already blamed the Opposition for being a stumbling block.
The Food Security Bill seeks to provide food security to 75 per cent people in rural areas and 50 per cent in urban areas by providing subsidised rice at Rs 3 a kilo, less than 10 percent of current retail prices, and wheat at Rs 2 a kilo. Detractors argue the Bill excludes a large chunk of people who need food at subsidised rates and so it should be made universal.
The bill also provides for Food Security Allowance in case the government fails to give cheap food. The Opposition however says this will give a back door entry to cash transfers in Public Distribution System.
The bill will guarantee at least 25 kilograms of subsidised food grains every month to a family of 5 persons. The opposition argues that many states already guarantee 35 kilogram of food grains for Below the Poverty Line (BPL) families.
Questions have also been raised about the government being able to manage the funds to push through this scheme.
"It's only an additional Rs 20,000 crores and if this is a priority, the government will raise the resources," said Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission.