Amidst differences, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday deferred the draft Food Security Bill. However, it approved three important anti-graft legislations.
These include the Citizen's Right to Grievances Redressal Bill, Official Amendment to Public Interest and Protection Bill (Whistleblower Protection) and Judicial Standard and Accountability Bill.
“The discussion on the draft Food Bill remained inconclusive and the matter has been deferred for the next week. The discussion will continue again next week,” a Cabinet Minister, who was present in the meeting, said.
The effort now will be to introduce the three approved anti-corruption Bills during ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. The Government is giving very high priority to these three Bills as these are expected to supplement the Lokpal Bill.
While official sources refused to give any specific reason for deferment of the Food Security Bill, one of the pet schemes of UPA Chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi, it is believed that some of the coalition allies feared that the Bill would create food scarcity and fuel inflation.
In fact, the Food Bill is aimed at fulfilling one of UPA's election promises of providing subsidised foodgrain to nearly two-thirds of rural and half of the urban households. The Bill proposes to provide not less than 7 kg of foodgrain per person per month for ‘priority households'.
It is said that 48 per cent of all rural households and 28 per cent of all urban households shall be designated as ‘priority households'.
These families will get rice not less than Rs 3 per kg, wheat Rs 2 per kg and coarse grains not less than Rs 1 per kg. Twenty-seven per cent of the rural household and 22 per cent of the urban household are proposed to get wheat, rice and coarse grain at a price which not be less than 50 per cent of the minimum support price.
The Cabinet also approved Prevention of Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill.