President Pranab Mukherjee kept the government waiting all through Thursday for his consent to the ordinance on the National Food Security Bill, that was approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. While the Opposition trained its guns on the government for scuttling discussion in Parliament on the legislation, Mr Mukherjee’s decision to go through the ordinance with a fine tooth comb before he puts his stamp to it is being seen as a signal that unlike some others he “is not a rubber-stamp” constitutional head.
The government, however, remains confident that Mr Mukherjee will eventually approve the ordinance once he has gone through it in detail. As finance minister before becoming President, Mr Mukherjee had supported the food security legislation.
Rashtrapati Bhavan sources said the President wanted to satisfy himself on the issue of “urgency” in promulgating an ordinance given that the Monsoon Session of Parliament is due to begin in a few weeks’ time. The President’s press secretary, Mr Venu Rajamony, told this newspaper that “the notification has not yet been signed”, but denied speculation that the President had raised queries about the ordinance. Till the time of going to press late on Thursday night, the President had not yet given his approval to the ordinance.
Union minister of state for food and consumer affairs K.V. Thomas, who had wanted to brief the media on the Cabinet’s decision, was forced to postpone a press conference earlier on Thursday as the President had not given his consent. The food ministry is hopeful that the presidential approval will come on Friday. Incidentally, the President will be leaving for Kanpur on Friday to attend a function at the Indian Institute of Technology there. The ministry had sent the ordinance to the PMO for notification on Wednesday, and the PMO had then forwarded it to the President for his approval.
Prof. Thomas was called for a meeting with top Congress functionaries on Thursday to discuss the food legislation. Opposition parties, including the BJP and the Left, have raised objections to the way in which the measure was being pushed through the ordinance route despite the fact that Parliament is due to meet soon.
Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj wondered in a Twitter post whether the government’s hurry in promulgating the ordinance was an indication of an early general election in the winter. But minister of state for information and broadcasting Manish Tewari said that the food security ordinance should not be seen in the context of early elections.
The Food Bill was drafted by the National Advisory Council headed by the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. It was also a part of the Congress’ manifesto ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.