Despite objections raised by NCP leader and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, the Government is planning to bring an ordinance on food security. The proposed ordinance is on the agenda of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday.
The ordinance aims to provide legal right to subsidised food to 67 per cent population at a cost of Rs 1,24,747 crore in 2013-14 which may further increase in subsequent years.
If the ordinance is promulgated, 75 per cent population in rural areas and 50 per cent in urban areas will get rice at Rs 3 per kg, wheat at Rs 2 per kg and coarse grain at Rs 1 per kg.
The ordinance will provide for constitution of Food Commission in every State and also penalty for officials if the people failed to get legal entitlement of subsidised foodgrain.
In case of crop failure resulting in the Government’s inability to provide foodgrain, the beneficiaries will be given cash allowance, under the
proposed ordinance.
But all this will depend on whether Pawar, who has recently clarified that that he would want the Food Bill to come only after debate and discussion in Parliament, would climb down and agree for the ordinance route.
The proposed ordinance, which was ready even before the last week's Cabinet meeting, was not brought as the Government developed cold feet at the eleventh hour. This happened as most political parties questioned why the Congress was in such a tearing hurry and not ready to wait for the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Among those which criticised the Government's proposed move to go through ordinance route were not only Opposition BJP and left parties but also included UPA's supporting party Samajwadi Party and Right to Food Campaign activists. The BJP had even said that it was ready to prepone the Monsoon Session or even to hold a Special Session of Parliament to discuss the Food Security Bill.