Congress admitted that opposition political parties are opposing the Food Security Bill just for political reasons as it will benefit the party in the coming lok Sabha elections.
AICC member and party spokesperson Mukesh Naik here said the Congress was fighting for the Food Security Bill just after it came to power for the second time in 2009. ''We also accept that the Ordinance will benefit the party but food security bill should be implemented for the benefit of 67 per cen of the populace of the country,'' he told reporters here during a .press conference here on Monday afternoon.
Claiming that it was just a myth created by some political parties that marginal farmers would be affected by the Food Security Bill, Naik, who is a former minister of Madhya Pradesh, said all care has been taken so that the farmers are not affected.
Announcing that the Congress ruled states would implement the
National Food Security Ordinance from August 20, he said other states would have to implement it once the Bill is passed by Parliament. Under the Food Security Bill, BPl card holders will get 5 kg of foodgrains-- wheat at Rs 3 per kg and rice Rs 3 per kg- per head while for the Anantodaya card holders it will be 35 kgs per month. The scheme also provides Rs 1000 per month to pregnant women for six months while the
children upto the age of 6 years will get free food at Anganbari and midday meal for children between 6 to 14 years. The Government will require 612.3 lakh tonne of foodgrains for the scheme in the country and the food subsidy would be around Rs 1,24,724 crore for 2013-14.