-The Hindu India's hard won gains in achieving food security are in danger of being undermined by a clause in the National Food Security Bill that encourages States to adopt cash transfers in lieu of food entitlements under the Public Distribution System (PDS). Supporting this view, a recent report by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) concluded that the provision of food subsidies in the form of cash would...
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Whither the food security law?-Himanshu
-Live Mint The failure of the UPA government to get the food security Bill passed has exposed its hypocrisy With the budget session of Parliament coming to an early close amid a political logjam, the food security Bill has been stalled again. The blame for this important legislation not winning parliamentary passage in the last four years rests entirely on the Manmohan Singh government, despite its last-minute posturing. The Bill, which was cleared...
More »Between mass hunger and bursting granaries-Agrima Bhasin
-The Hindu A concern about the Food Security Bill is that legal entitlement has been weakened to mean a passive right to receive whatever the state gives The hallmark of the National Food Security Bill 2011 is that if implemented it will translate into India's first ever right to food legislation, guaranteeing food as a justiciable, legal entitlement to its people. However, in its current form, the Bill fails to evolve a...
More »Food Bill moved despite ruckus in Lok Sabha-Vinay Kumar
-The Hindu Bill represents a shift from welfare-based approach to a rights-based one:Food Minister Amid the Opposition uproar in the Lok Sabha over allegations of corruption in the UPA government, the National Food Security Bill was taken up for consideration on Monday. When, after frequent disruptions, the House reassembled at 3 p.m., Girija Vyas, who was in the Chair, announced that the House would take up for further consideration the motion moved by...
More »Amartya Sen urges Parliament to pass food security bill
-The Hindustan Times With key government legislations stuck in Parliament because of disruptions, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen urged the opposition parties to be "responsible" and discuss the issues in Parliament instead of disrupting it. Sen was speaking at a Press conference organised by civil society groups seeking passage of key legislations such as National Food Security Bill, whistleblower legislation and grievance redressal bill. They were aghast the second part of the budget...
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