Food bill repackaging of old schemes: Jaitley
Terming the Food Security Ordinance an “abuse of the legislative power” to issue ordinances, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley on Monday said the much-touted Food Security Bill is nothing but “repackaging” of various existing schemes like PDS, midday meal and ICDS and there was “nothing new in it”.
Mr Jaitley, speaking on a statutory resolution for disapproval of the Food Security Ordinance, said it was issued in a hurry and less than a month of beginning of the Parliament session. He was joined by the CPI(M), CPI and AIADMK in moving the resolution.
While supporting the Food Security Bill, Mr Jaitley said: “An ordinance is brought if there is a matter of utmost urgency and it can’t await the session of Parliament... What would have happened in 30 days that we couldn’t wait. The Constitution does not allow so... It is misuse of your right to issue an ordinance.”
Questioning the hurry in issuing the food ordinance, he said, “At best, it could be aimed at reaping political benefits.”
Mr Jaitley said many states already had better PDS schemes and the Centre should have a “large heart” in allowing them to continue. He cited the example of Chhattisgarh which provided more nutritious food under PDS than the food security scheme brought by the Centre. Gujarat chief minister and BJP’s election campaign committee chief Narendra Modi had written a letter to the Prime Minister last month pointing out some deficiencies in the bill and demanded that a meeting of the chief ministers should be called on the issue.
Extending his party’s support to the bill, Mr Jaitley said, “The way the ordinance was brought, a lot of reform is required.” He said while the ordinance was issued on July 5, Monsoon Session of Parliament started on August 5 and guidelines of the scheme are yet to be framed.
While welcoming the move that states will have powers to implement the food law, Mr Jaitley said the Centre has evolved a scheme of “one size fits all irrespective of the peculiarity of the state”.
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