The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the National Food Security Bill, 2013, exactly a week after the Lok Sabha gave its nod for a move that would give highly subsidised foodgrains to more than 67% of the population.
The Bill will now be sent for presidential assent.
While extending its support for the Bill, leader of the Opposition and BJP leader Arun Jaitley termed the legislation as the ‘repackaging’ of various existing schemes like Public Distribution System, mid-day meal and ICDS and ‘there was nothing new in it’.
Jaitely criticised the government for bringing in an ordinance for the implementation of food security Bill.
“An ordinance is brought if there is a matter of utmost urgency and it can’t await the session of Parliament. What would have happened in 30 days that we couldn’t wait?…It is misuse of your right to issue an ordinance,” he said.
The government promulgated the ordinance for the food security legislation on July . The finance ministry said the impact of the Bill on the central budget would be some Rs 1.15-1.3 lakh crore a year when it is fully implemented.
CPM leader Sitaram Yechury demanded that the proposed legislation should cover the entire population of the country.
“If the government is sincere about respecting the dignity of people, it should extend the programme to the entire populations because there are mulnourished people among the remaining 33% of the populations who would not be covered,” he noted.
As per the proposed legislation, up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population will have uniform entitlement of 5 kg grains per month at highly subsidized prices of Rs. 3, Rs. 2, Rs 1 per kg for rice, wheat, coarse grains, respectively.
The proposed food law would entitle about two thirds of country’s 1.2 billion population to subsidised foodgrains under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
Under the new Bill, the annual allocation of grains for the states have been estimated at close to 55 million tonne while Bihar and Uttar Pradesh would be the two biggest beneficiaries.
