by Ayeshea Perera Jun 3, 2013
With the all important UPA meeting on the food security bill up for debate later this evening, the government is reportedly still divided on whether to call for a special session of Parliament, or introduce the bill through an ordinance.
Food Minister KV Thomas, Law Minister Kapil Sibal and Finance Minister P Chidambaram are against ordinance, and favour a Parliament session, CNN-IBN reported.
However Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath (who can blame him, really) and many others within Congress want an ordinance.
The channel added that Congress President Sonia Gandhi is putting pressure on the party to get the Bill passed as soon as possible.
2. 53 pm: How can anyone oppose a bill that will benefit millions?
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari questioned how one could oppose the food bill that seeks to benefit millions of poor people.
“Don’t understand how one can oppose a bill that will benefit millions of people,” Tewari said.
2. 19 pm: UPA coordination committee meeting postponed to Tuesday?
Sources have told ANI that the UPA coordination committee meeting scheduled to he held today has been postponed to Tuesday. The meeting was to discuss how to move ahead with regards to the Food Security Bill, the key legislation of the UPA.
At a Congress core group meeting on Saturday, the high command of the Congress had decided to call a UPA meeting to arrive at a consensus.
1.29 pm: Food Security Bill should never be brought before the legislature, says MM Joshi
Now it looks as though BJP leader Yashwant Sinha is getting some support from Murli Manohar Joshi with regards to his views on the ‘disastrous’ food security bill.
“This Food Security Bill should never be brought before the legislature.There are far more important issues to discuss”, Joshi was quoted as saying by ANI.
He had added that the Food Security Bill was in reality a Kisaan insecurity bill.
11.31 am: Yashwant Sinha says food security bill is a disaster
BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley may have said that they will support the food security bill, but Yashwant Sinha has a different opinion.
Sinha who was the former finance minister, has termed the bill ‘a disaster’.
“Hope the BJP doesn’t agree To special Session of Parliament for the food bill. Bringing Food Security Law via ordinance is a bad idea”, he said in comments to CNBC.
He also said that the BJP should oppose Food Bill as it transfers burden to states. “The food bill is an assault on the federal system of India. It will lead to black marketing and badly affect farmers. Only traders will make merrt by round tripping grain supply”, he added.
This is in keeping with the views of many economic commentators including that of Firstpost editor R Jagannathan who said,
“The Right to Food is not any more important than the Right to Choice. To force an economically unsustainable Food Security Bill, which is going to cost Rs 6,00,000 crore over three years, down the throats of two-thirds of the population is not a sign of great humanity. It is the exact opposite. It will eat away through inflation and whatever is gained in terms of cheap food delivered through a leaky system that swallows up half the grains meant for the poor.”
11. 14 am: Samajwadi Party to oppose bill
And though the BJP may have said it is on board with the food security bill, the SP has said that it will not support the legislation. However it has said that they are not ‘averse’ to a special session Parliament. But in ominous signs for its productivity, SP leader Naresh Agarwaal said that the would “register their protest” in it.
Given that ‘protest’ in Parliament could mean anything from a civilised debate (rare) to sloganeering (preferred mode of operation), will the Congress be better off passing an ordinance if they want the bill passed? This is likely to be among the topics of discussion at the UPA meeting at 5.30 pm.
10.53 am: BJP will support food security bill, says Sushma
Amid the government’s move for a special session of Parliament to pass the Food Security Bill, the BJP on Sunday said it is not opposed to it even though it preferred the advancement of the monsoon session.
“There are media reports that government is considering the option of an Ordinance or to convene a special session of Parliament. The ordinance route for such an important legislation is not desirable. We are not opposed to a special session of Parliament,” Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
However, she said, “the better option will be to prepone the Monsoon session which is anyway due in July”.
BJP’s support came on the eve of UPA coordination committee meeting slated for tomorrow to discuss the Food Bill issue. Government is also planning to convene an all-party meeting on the issue.
BJP’s coming on board over the Bill is crucial for the government which could not pass it in the Budget session because of disruptions by Opposition.
(PTI)
Reuters
Keen to push through the food security bill, Congress has initiated fresh moves to forge a consensus with allies and the Opposition over the measure.
A meeting of the Congress top brass on Saturday decided to hold a meeting of UPA coordination committee on Monday, while an all-party meet is likely on 7 June for evolving a consensus on the key bill, which is being touted as a revolutionary measure by the ruling party ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls. Sources in both the party and the government said that a special session may happen if other parties agree to it.
At a meeting of the Congress Core Group chaired by party President Sonia Gandhi, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by her side, that lasted for more than three hours, it was decided that the UPA will finalise its strategy on the ambitious food security bill today.
If all parties agree, a special session can be called, otherwise the government may take the route of ordinance to implement the food security measure. The UPA coordination meeting will provide an opportunity to the Congress top brass to understand the mind of the allies on the Food Security bill and the Land Acquisition Bill which are being seen as a gamechanger by the Congress as it braces for the next Lok Sabha elections.
In the Core Group meeting on Saturday, it was decided that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath will speak to other political parties and if they agree, a special session may be convened to take up the bill, sources said. Otherwise the government may decide to bring out an ordinance on the food bill, a key commitment of the UPA.
(PTI)
Source: www.firstpost.com/politics/live-how-can-anyone-oppose-food-bill-that-will-benefit-millions-asks-tewari-835547.html
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