PARLIAMENTARY REPORT
Huge investment for creating additional storage capacity was required for the success of the Bill.
He regretted that even after 65 years of independence, the
INDIA Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, MP
government had not been able to determine the actual number of poor. He suggested for leaving this task either with the States or MPs as they were aware of the realities. For Shri A. Sampath, MP,
(CPI-M), food security was not all about providing food grains only as was mentioned in the Bill. The Bill was silent about providing pulses and edible oils used in cooking which were essential for a healthy life.
He asked for the Bill to cover the entire population and to be made a universal right. Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, MP, (BJD) regretted that poverty and starvation continued to thrive as relentlessly as before. He was against the per capita entitlement approach and suggested for per household entitlement. The Central Government could allocate grains to the States on the basis of the entitled population and left it to the States to decide which approach they preferred to use. For him targeted approach was a fundamental cause of corruption. The Minister of Heavy
Industries and Public Enterprises, Shri Praful Patel, MP, (NCP) said the Bill was a historical one and requested for Members
to support it. He emphasized on paying proper attention to the needs of the farmers for increasing production. Dr M. Thambidurai, MP, (AIADMK) said the Central government was pushing the Food Security Bill to get electoral benefits and was not concerned about the financial burden on the States. If the Central government was serious about the Bill, there had to be a discussion with all Chief Ministers to find out the best way to implement the Scheme. Shri Nama Nageswara Rao, MP, (TDP) thought there were many loopholes in the Bill as far as its implementation aspect was concerned.
Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal,
MP, (SAD) failed to understand how a Food Security Bill, that provided no proteins, vitamins, pulses, or dairy products could claim to provide nutritional security to this nation. She wanted to know the basis on which the government reached the conclusion that the quantity of five kg per person was more than enough. She was of the view that the financial burden would increase the fiscal deficit and also put pressure on the government not to increase the minimum support price given to the farmers. Shri Lalu
could be removed subsequently. He also highlighted the need to correct the list of targeted people and include those poor families who had been left out. Since the State of Bihar was prone to flooding, additional storage capacity should be created to ensure that the benefits of this Bill reached targeted groups. Shri S.D. Shariq, MP, (J&KNC) suggested for strengthening the monitoring system and the State
that measures be taken to stop corruption in the implementation of the PDS. She wanted to know how farmers were proposed to be compensated when procurement did not taken place due to natural disasters such as flooding. Replying to the debate,
Prof. Thomas assured that all constructive suggestions coming from Members would be positively considered while implementing the legislation. Both the State and Central Government would have to work hand-in-hand to make it a successful legislation. The Bill would cover 67 per cent of the population of the country; 820 million people. He responded that while the government would be happy to provide food grains to everybody in the country it was not possible at this current stage.
Shri Lalu Prasad, MP
Governments in confidence for the proper implementation of the provisions of the Bill. Kumari Saroj Pandey, MP,
Shri Praful Patel, MP
Prasad, MP, (RJD) requested the Members to support the Bill as it was in the interest of the poor and marginalized sections of society and shortcomings if any
338 | The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue Four
(BJP) said nothing had been mentioned about how much burden the States would have to bear and what would be the system of storage and distribution of food grains. She wanted to know how the problem of malnutrition could be addressed with the help of rice, wheat and coarse grains under the proposed Bill. Shri Asaduddin Owaisi, MP, (AIMIM) said 15 per cent quota should be given to the Muslim minorities. He requested the government to earmark sufficient funds for proper implementation of the Bill as the State governments had completely failed, especially in respect of the Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Shri Thol Thirumaavalavan, MP, (VCK) requested the government to increase the amount to at least 10 kg and methodically determine the targeted beneficiaries. Smt. Jayaprada (SP) asked
Shri Thol Thirumaavalavan, MP
The government was trying to streamline the PDS and reduce the damages and leakages in the central procurement system and trying to further increase the storage capacity. Regarding the protection of the interests of farmers he said the MSP for the farmers would not be frozen, and any food grains that came to the market would be taken over by Food Corporation of India. Every State had its own
PDS model and not one could be accepted as a whole. At the end of the debate, the Statutory Resolution moved by Shri Panda was rejected and the Bill, as amended, was passed.
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