Even while the Centre appears keen to push through the Food Security Bill with some key changes, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar is learnt to have raised questions about the viability of the scheme with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The Prime Minister had recently called a meeting, which was attended by Mr Pawar, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Union minister for food and consumer affairs K.V. Thomas, to discuss a new set of suggestions on the Bill.
The Centre is learnt to have decided to go ahead with the suggestion to exclude 33 per cent of the people from the ambit of food entitlement, which will take the Food Subsidy Bill to Rs1.15 lakh crore. The new proposals seek food entitlement for 67 per cent of the population.
However, Mr Pawar has raised concerns over the viability of the food subsidy burden. He is also learnt to have raised concern over lack of clarity in the Food Bill over the investment commitment in the agriculture sector to support the requirement for the foodgrains. The new set of suggestions, if accepted, would require over 65 million tonnes of foodgrains each year.
Mr Pawar has also raised concern over the impact on the open market when the government will lift 65 million tonnes for the Food Bill.
The agriculture minister is learnt to be of the view that there would be an adverse impact on the prices of the foodgrains in the open market.