The UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today appealed to all political parties to extend unanimous support to the National Food Security Bill to ensure its passage in Parliament.
Participating in the discussion on the Bill in the Lok Sabha, Mrs Gandhi said that the Bill will help wipe out hunger and malnutrition from the country and will send a message to the world that India is capable of looking after the food security of its citizens, particularly the poor.
Terming the Bill as incomplete, the main opposition BJP demanded nationwide debate on it before adoption. The party leader, Murali Manohar Joshi said that various provisions regarding the implementation of the Bill are still not clear.
The Samajwadi Party leader, Mulayam Singh Yadav said that the Government should take the opinion of all Chief Ministers as implementation of the Bill lies on the state governments and they have to bear additional financial burden for this.
Moving the Bill for discussion and passage, Food Minister Prof K V Thomas said that around 62 million tonnes of food grains will be required to meet the obligations under the proposed law. He said, the implementation of the law will cost the public exchequer over one lakh, 24 thousand crore rupees per year.
Initiating the discussion, Prabodh Panda of the CPI alleged that the proposed legislation will adversely affect the poor farmers. The discussion is continuing.
Earlier, both the Houses of Parliament witnessed repeated adjournments today on the Viswa Hindu Parishad yatra in Uttar Pradesh. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned till 2 PM on the same issue. The two Houses were adjourned twice in the pre-lunch session.
As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, BJP members protested against the ban on Chourasi Kosi Parikrama and the arrest of its leaders. Samajwadi Party members trooped into the well of the House countering the slogans raised by the BJP.
When the Lok Sabha reassembled at noon, Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh yadav accused the BJP of not following the court’s directives. He said by banning the Parikrama, the Uttar Pradesh government has only followed the directives of the Supreme Court.
He charged the BJP with ransacking the Samajwadi Party office in New Delhi. Yogi Adityanath of the BJP accused the state government for undermining the people’s right to religion.
Demanding the sacking of the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh, he alleged that the state government is releasing the persons arrested for their involvement in terror activities and appeasing the minority community.
The BJP member also alleged that the state is providing government land for grave yards and infringing upon the rights and benefits of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
