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The National Food Security Bill, the legislation that is supposed to give a leg-up to the Congress ahead of the 2014 general elections, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
In an effort to garner support in the House, the Government, had moved seven official amendments accepting certain broad suggestions of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Samajwadi Party, the DMK, the AIADMK and the Janata Dal (United).
Replying to the six-hour-long debate on the Bill, Food Minister K. V. Thomas said the current foodgrains quota of the 18 affected States, such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, will be protected. MPs from both the States had said that the new Bill was a ploy to cut the foodgrains allocation to States from the Centre’s pool. “Whatever is the offtake of grains of the States for the last three years, it will be completely protected...,” Thomas said.
He also assured the Opposition that there would be no freeze on the minimum support price for farmers. Also, that there was no proposal to go in for cash transfers for food. “We will continue to procure and distribute foodgrains,” he said
Earlier, initiating the debate, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi reminded the UPA Government of the announcement made by the former President Pratibha Patil on bringing in the Bill. “After four years, you are bringing the Bill when it is time for you to leave,” he said, terming it a “vote security bill”.
Participating in the discussion, the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who was speaking for the first time in the 15th Lok Sabha, said the Bill was a ‘historic step’ and would send out a message to the world that India was a responsible nation. “...Our goal is to wipe out hunger and malnutrition all over the country.”
Regarding resources, she said the country will have to raise them. “The question is not whether we have enough resources or not and whether it would benefit the farmers or not. We have to arrange resources for it. We have to do it,” she said.
Interestingly, she and Rahul Gandhi were not present during the voting on the amendments, nor was Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.
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