States oppose key food bill provisions

Differences came to the fore ahead of the government giving a final shape to the National Food Security Bill, as a number of states opposed key provisions of the legislative proposal. The state governments made their differences clear broadly on two issues — quantity of foodgrains and number of beneficiaries. Consistent with its stand the Tamil Nadu government made it clear during a meeting of the food ministers of states in the national capital that the state would like to be exempted from the ambit of the Food Bill. Tamil Nadu maintains that the state has a better scheme, which is universal unlike the Food Bill, which would compulsory exclude 33 per cent of the population from its ambit. Chhattisgarh and West Bengal also joined Tamil Nadu in seeking universal application of the Food Bill. Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh has also written a letter to the Prime Minister to stress his demands with respect to the Food Bill. The Centre got further trouble as Opposition-ruled states — Bihar, Orissa, Punjab and Gujarat — suggested that first the public distribution system (PDS) be revised before the scheme is unveiled. Even the Congress-ruled Kerala, from where Union minister of state for food and consumer affairs K.V. Thomas hails, sought PDS modernisation to precede implementation of the Food Bill. Bihar, Kerala and Orissa also made it clear that the suggestion of 5 kg of foodgrains each person a month as given by the parliamentary standing committee would be inadequate to meet the objectives of the food security. However, Mr Thomas, apparently unfazed over the difference of opinions among the states, stressed that the government would go ahead with the Food Bill in the coming Budget Session. “Except Tamil Nadu, all states have welcomed the bill. Some have expressed reservation on certain provisions. We cannot satisfy all states,” he said. The consultation meeting, hosted by the Centre on Wednesday, was attended by 19 states and Union Territories. The state governments also demanded that the Centre should bear the full cost of the implementation of the Food Bill.