UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday read out a 12-minute long speech in the lok Sabha seeking support for the ‘big message’ of the Congress-led UPA Government’s Food Security Bill.
While reading her statement — first in Hindi and then in English — she did not answer the specific concerns being expressed about the Bill. Fumbling initially, Gandhi gathered confidence as UPA members kept thumping the desk throughout her speech.
“An opportunity has come before this House today to give a big message to the country and the globe, a message loud and clear, that India takes responsibility to provide food security to its own people. Today is an opportunity for the House to ensure that every child grows up without malnutrition,” Gandhi said, referring to the UPA’s commitment to provide right to food.
Without going into how and from where her Government would raise money for the scheme, Sonia said the question was not about resources. “We will have to arrange it. Question is not what we can do. We will have to do it,” Gandhi said reading out from her speech.
Gandhi claimed the legislation was only the beginning of her party’s goal for the foreseeable future to “wipe out” hunger and malnutrition from our country. She sought to play to the agrarian community saying farmers and agriculture were ‘important’ to the UPA’s policies and the Government has always
“We will continue to do so,” she said. The Congress chief claimed PDS was not working properly in some parts of the country and, so, certain provisions have been made in the Bill to address the issue. She also referred to Integrated Child Development Scheme and others, like the Mid-Day Meal Scheme to claim it was the responsibility of both the State and the Centre to implement them effectively.
Referring to previous legislations like Right to Information and National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Sonia claimed: “The Food Security Bill is thus the fifth in a series of what might be called our wise-based approach. This approach, I believe, is bringing about an empowerment revolution in our country - something we are proud to have facilitated.”