Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Nitish, Jaya, Didi troika opposes food bill now by Nitin Sethi

Nitish, Jaya, Didi troika opposes food bill now by Nitin Sethi

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Mar 6, 2012   modified Modified on Mar 6, 2012

States are opposed to provisions of the bill that seek to mandate who are the beneficiaries of the proposed law

The UPA can face a political alignment against the National Food Security bill similar to what it did on the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC). Major states are opposed to provisions of the bill that seek to mandate who are the beneficiaries of the proposed law. 

J Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu, Nitish Kumar in Bihar and, most worryingly for the UPA Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal have all opposed the Centre’s view that it would decide the number of beneficiaries under the food security scheme in each state based on a standard formula. Some like Tamil Nadu argue that the number of beneficiaries will decrease. 

Their opposition needs to be softened although Congress got a breather with NCP boss Sharad Pawar making a near U-turn and speaking in favour of the bill he has questioned for more than a year. 

“This year, we will break last year’s record by reaching 250 million tonnes of foodgrains. With this background, to implement the Food Security bill, I don’t see any problem,” the agriculture minister said. 

He had previously warned of problems that could arise in implementing the bill and his ministry (agriculture) had on several occasions warned that there were not enough foodgrains to meet projected demands. 

Congress’s worries would now be concerned on convincing Banerjee to support the bill. The West Bengal chief minister avoided meeting Union food minister K V Thomas during his twoday visit to Kolkata. The Trinamool Congress chief had earlier in a written submission to the Union government opposed key proposals in the bill currently being considered by a parliamentary standing committee. 

The current bill proposes that the Centre decide the total number of beneficiaries in each state by sifting people out on the basis of the socioeconomic caste Census currently underway. 

Banerjee along with Jayalalithaa and Kumar have opposed this particular provision besides others reiterating that it should be the perogative of the state governments to decide and select beneficiaries. Kumar is insistent that states’ below poverty line lists should be given due weightage and they be allowed a say in beneficiaries. 

Several states already run a more elaborate food security scheme and it would be a political disaster for the regional leaders to cut access to those enjoying the benefits. 

While the bill itself is before the Parliamentary standing committee the criteria to be used for demarcating the beneficiaries is yet to be decided by the Centre. 

A panel, headed by Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen, was to do so but it has not met once since its formation a few months ago. The survey too has been delayed in several states. All these issues could hamper a timely roll out of Congress’s flagship scheme and a pet project of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

The Times of India, 6 March, 2012, http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=CAP/2012/03/06&PageLabel=11&EntityI


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close