Growing pessimism within the government over the fate of the ongoing Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) appears to be pushing the Centre to explore alternatives for the Food Security Bill.
The Centre is seriously considering the alternative suggestion to exclude 33 per cent of the people from the ambit of the Food Bill, as the new idea has apparently the stamp of approval of the Congress.
Sources said that the Food Security Bill is getting derailed due to non-completion of the SECC, which was originally scheduled to be completed in December 2011.
“We had sent two letters to the ministry of rural development to know the status of the SECC but have only been told vaguely that the exercise would be completed by September this year. However, the fact known to us is that the SECC has been completed only in two small states and the progress report in other states is highly disappointing,” said a senior official in the ministry of food and consumers affairs. However, the ministry is equally sceptical of whether the new suggestions, which have come from a group of activists and backed by the Congress, could be rushed through.
“The Food Bill is being deliberated upon by the parliamentary standing committee as of now. Only when the committee gives its report, the ministry can initiate the exercise to solicit views of the state governments and other ministries on the new set of proposals...,” added the official.