Food bill a historic step: Sonia Gandhi

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The much-touted Food Security Bill, which proposes to give the country's three-fourth population the right to highly-subsidised food, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday by Food Minister K V Thomas.

Calling the bill a historic step and a message to the whole world, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi told the Lok Sabha that with this (bill), the Congress is fulfilling a big promise made in the 2009 manifesto.
Reading from a prepared text, she said the bill gives importance to the farmers and dismissed criticism that the farmers may put to hardship. It will also empower women in rural areas, she added.
Earlier, giving details of the bill, Thomas said all concerns of the State governments would be addressed.
If the Bill is passed, the Ordinance on Food Security introduced on July 5 would lapse.
Moving the National Food Security Bill, 2013, which promises to give right to the country's 80 crore people to get 5 kg of foodgrains every month at Rs 1-3 per kg, Thomas said there is nothing in it against the states.
"It does not impinge upon the rights of states. It protects the Constitution," he said to allay apprehensions expressed by Tamil Nadu parties - AIADMK and DMK and Kerala - over the new law. He said any concern could be debated upon when the bill comes up for discussion in the House.
The BJP pointed to numerous loopholes in the bill. Speaking on the bill, BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said the bill addresses hunger and not nutritional requirements. He also doubted if the bill is truly universal in nature as it discriminates between urban and rural poor.
Joshi also wanted to know why the ruling party took over four years to come out with this bill. “This is not a food security bill but a vote security bill,” he said. 
If the Bill would eventually see the light of the day, it would be Sonia Gandhi who would open the debate, setting the tone for the crucial elections to States, including Delhi, later this year and the general elections next year.
The primary objective of the Food Bill is to guarantee cheap food grain to nearly 70% of India’s 1.2 billion people. If passed, the Bill would provide subsidised food grain to 75% of India’s estimated 833 million rural population and 50% of an estimated 377 million urban population.
India accounts for a third of the world’s poor, according to a report of the World Bank.
But the BJP and SP plan to move a series of amendments that may see the Bill slipping out of the Monsoon Session. But all that the Congress wants is to take credit for the bill.
The Bill envisages that the beneficiaries can get a total of 5 kg of subsidised rice, wheat and coarse grains a month. These can be bought at prices ranging from Re 1 to 3 a kg.
The state-run Food Corporation of India plans to distribute the subsidised grains through a nationwide network of fair price shops.
The government says it will spend about $4 billion a year on the programme.
The bill has been criticised by the opposition and some food security analysts. Many see it as an attempt by the Congress party to woo poor and middle-class voters ahead of the general elections slated for early 2014.
Analysts point out that there are no firm plans how the poor would be identified. The subsidised grain is to be provided to individuals earning less than the benchmark poverty line, set at Rs 33 a day in urban areas and Rs 27 a day in rural areas.
Economists fear that the bill would throw the tottering economy of the rails by worsening the fiscal deficit.
Earlier, the Food Bill, that provides for entitlement of highly-subsidised rations to two-thirds of  the nation’s population, was listed for debate in the Lok Sabha on the 69th birth  anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.