Even as reports emerge that India is likely to compromise on its demands for changing laws at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to validate its Food Security legislation and settle for a short-term ‘peace clause’, Food Minister K.V. Thomas has defended the Act.
He said it was India’s right to address its problems such as malnutrition and hunger, and the new law was in no way against the WTO norms.
Addressing a press conference here after his five-day visit to Rome to take part in the 40{+t}{+h} session of Committee on World Food Security at the Food and Agriculture Organisation headquarters, Thomas claimed that top officials of both FAO and the World Food Programme were highly appreciative and “extremely excited” about the Act.
He said during the visit, senior functionaries of both the organisations referred to the questions and doubts being raised by the WTO about the possible impact of the Act on the global markets.
“I explained to them that the Act will not make any huge enhancement either in the procurement or subsidy fronts as India already has a robust Public Distribution System and the additional requirements of the Act would not be substantially higher in either of the two fronts per se ,” he said.
Thomas said the general consensus in the discussions was in support of the Bill. “It is more on addressing malnutrition and hunger. We are plugging all loopholes in the system. India has every right to address the issue of hunger and malnutrition in this country. We will convince the WTO about the importance of the scheme,” Thomas added.
On Aadhaar
Thomas also said that the recent directions from the Supreme Court on the Aadhaar cards would not impact the implementation of the scheme.
“We have not made Aadhaar compulsory to get the foodgrains,” he said.