Food bill passed in LS
The much-awaited National Food Security Bill, which the ruling Congress calls a “game changer”, was passed by voice vote in the Lok Sabha on Monday. It will ensure legal food entitlement to 50 per cent of the urban and 75 per cent of the rural population across the country at reasonably cheaper prices.
The BJP too ultimately supported the bill, with Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj saying: “We support it despite this being half-baked and weak.”
When the bill was put to vote clause by clause, over 300 amendments moved by Opposition members, including those of the BJP, Left parties and others, were negated by margins of more than 100 votes each time. Prominent among the amendements moved by Opposition members included making it obligatory for the government to give food even at times of natural calamities, increasing fines on public authorities from the existing `5,000 to `25,000 in case of failure to provide food and eliminating provisions of financial liability on state governments in implementing the law.
The ambitious bill was adopted by the House through a voice vote after a combined discussion on the measure and a statutory resolution seeking to disapprove the ordinance promulgated on July 5.
Ironically, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the main force behind the bill and one of the key speakers in the day-long debate, could not participate in the voting as she fell ill during the voting on amendments and had to leave the House at around 8.15 pm when she was taken to AIIMS. Her son Rahul too could not take part in the voting as he accompanied his mother to AIIMS.
Replying to a six-hour-long debate on the bill in the Lok Sabha, minister of state for consumer affairs, food and public distribution K.V. Thomas, allaying fears voiced during the debate, said: “We are not going to freeze the minimum support prices. Whatever foodgrains comes to mandis will be procured.”
The government provides MSP on wheat, paddy and a dozen other commodities. The MSP is fixed by the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices.
“Whatever be the recommendation of the CACP, that will be accepted by the government...We will continue
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