President signs ordinance on Food Security bill
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday signed the Ordinance on Food Security to give nation’s two-third population, the right to get 5 kgs of food grains every month at highly subsidized rate of Rs 1-3 per kg.
The Food Security programme will be the biggest in the world with the government spending estimated at Rs 125,000 crore annually on supply of about 62 million tonnes of rice, wheat and coarse cereals to 67 percent of the population.
The Ordinance comes just weeks before the scheduled Monsoon Session of Parliament and political parties demanding that the Food Security Bill be debated in both the Houses before being passed.
Left parties attacked the government for taking the Ordinance route saying that the UPA-II has shown contempt of Parliament, while BJP termed it an “election gimmick” saying that Congress was running away from a debate in the House.
Samajwadi Party, a key outside supporter of UPA, also sharply opposed promulgation of the Ordinance saying that it was undemocratic and the programme would derail the food economy.
The Ordinance will have to be approved by both the Houses of Parliament within six months of promulgation. The measure will guarantee 5 kgs of rice, wheat and coarse cereals per month per person at a fixed price of Rs 3, 2, 1, respectively.
However, about 2.43 crore poorest of the poor families covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) scheme under PDS (Public Distribution System) would continue to get 35 kgs of food grains per family per month but with legal entitlement.
“The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee promulgated the National Food Security Ordinance, 2013 today,” Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Venu Rajamony said in a statement. The scheme will take at least six months to cover the entire country, officials said.
Ordinance to confer right to food to larger population
The Ordinance seeks to confer the Right to Food to a larger section of population, ensure allocation of sufficient food grains on regular basis under PDS and enable state governments to handle unforeseen situations caused by drought and other natural calamities.
The government is believed to have opted for the Ordinance route as some BJP-ruled states like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are already issuing food grains at Rs 1 per kg.
The Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP) Chairman Ashok Gulati feels that at present the Ordinance can be a blessing in disguise as there is huge food grains stock with the government.
But how far it will remain sustainable unless we fix PDS, stabilize production and invest in storage and transportation are issues that need to be factored in, he said.
The biggest challenge is fixing leakage in PDS in states where poverty is more. The second biggest threat will be that higher procurement of food grains to meet Food Bill demand will drive out private players from wheat and rice market, he said.
